上世紀七八十年代，我和周勇先生即為同窗，修業於西安美術學院，完成學業後我留校任教，而周勇則遠赴新疆就職於新疆師範大學。

Yong Zhou and I were classmates at the Xi’an Art Institute in the late seventies. After graduation, I stayed as a professor at the institute while Yong Zhou returned home to Xinjiang to become a professor at the Xinjiang Normal University.

青年時代我突發奇想，共約六人踩自行車，踏上從西安到烏魯木齊的征程。期間一邊採風一邊體會著不同地域的人文習俗，行程達千餘公里，當我抵達烏魯木齊深夜敲開周勇的家門時，他驚訝地說不出話，他絕對沒有想到我居然會如此瘋狂，將一句不經意的話付諸實施，全程歷經三個月有餘，這一次新疆之行更加深了我們的友情。

We became good friends after rooming together in the student dorms for four years. Two years later, in a spur of the moment decision and out of a youthful sense of adventure, I set out with six of his friends on bicycle from Xi’An to Urumqi. Along the way, they camped and experienced the cultures of the countryside. The trip was thousands of kilometers. When I knocked on Yong Zhou’s door in the middle of the night, he was shocked speechless. He never thought that I would make good on his joke of riding a bike to visit him as it took three months of cycling. Yong Zhou was touched by the visit and our bond grew stronger.

歲月如梭，轉眼之間我們都已經人到中年了，時事之變也是難以預料的。九十年代中期，周勇應聯合國教科文組織之邀前赴美國舉辦個人畫展，畫展獲得極大成功，他遂得以特殊人才身份攜全家移居美國，天涯阻隔使我們有一段時間失去聯繫，但我始終深信像他這樣一個勤奮的畫家絕不會碌碌無為的。

In 1993, Yong was invited by the United Nations to exhibit his paintings in New York City. The show was a success and he was then subsequently invited to come to the United States with his family. Distance and time made us lose touch for a while, but I always believed that an artist like Yong Zhou would do great things.

一個文化人遊走在不同的人文領域，帶去的是根深柢固的中國文化因素，汲取的是西方自由精神，這種碰撞加上自身的能力必將演繹出華麗的篇章，這在周勇的作品中得到充分的體現。浪漫的現實主義中透出無拘無束的自由精神，即體現著他全面的畫學修養，更是他天生性情的自然表現，正是這種東西方文化的交融契合了他的個性，使他的作品的本質得到了昇華。

As a Chinese-educated person who went to a completely different land, Yong Zhou brought his own cultural views and absorbed the western cultural ideal of freedom. His innate talent coupled with the cultural melting pot of America made his paintings even richer with life. Romantic with the underpinnings of realism, Yong Zhou paints with the abandonment of freedom while exhibiting his artist’s intuition. This amalgamation of Eastern and Western culture and his personality are what makes his works so great and unique.

周勇畫如其人，樸實，真誠，充滿激情，他用自己的畫筆表述對中國西部和美國西部的關注。如作品<白夜>，<大紅門>，<綠雪>，<盜馬人>，<陝北老人>，<藍鳥>，<黃河的故事>，<鄉村遊戲>，<日蝕>等一批優秀作品，具有獨特的造型和線條，昂揚誇張的色彩，鮮明突出的主題。他的畫具有一種強烈形式意味的寫實功底，這也是周勇的生活，畫家在畫中把對人物的尊重和那種淳樸生活及拙樸行為聯在一起，盡情表達在大型系列作品<克拉瑪依人>，<美國西部人家>畫中。那種氣派豪情給人留下深刻印象。

Yong’s paintings are parts of him; thus, they are similar to him in nature: honest, pure, and full of zeal. He shows his appreciation for the West and for the East through his works such as Big Red Door, Green Snow, Shangbei Elderly Man, Story of the Yellow River, Farmers’ Games, and Eclipse. They are unique in their composition, linearity, and exuberant color. His works are amazing in their realistic foundation while showing a deep respect for humanity and a penchant for the simpler ways of life. His works in his long series, comprised of Karamay People, Beautiful Homeland, ad American West, are beautiful in their strength and vibrancy, leaving deep impressions on viewers.

（周勇教授和夫人魯鄭與楊曉陽院長合影）

 

周勇不僅是一位好的畫家，同時也是出色的教育家，在中國，在美國培養了很多的優秀年青藝術家，這也是有目共睹。近年來周勇以旅美華人美術協會主席的身份關注著國際文化交流，在他的努力下促成了"五月中國 - 著名美術家中美巡迴展"，在中國北京，美國紐約兩地成功展覽，贏得了廣泛讚譽。

Yong is not only a great artist, but an admirable teacher. In both China and the United States, he taught and nurtured many talented young artists. In the past few years, as President of the Artists’ Association, he has contributed to the artistic cultural exchange between China and America. With his hard work, he helped bring “May—In China, the Exhibition” into fruition. He and many US and Chinese artist, including myself, toured in Beijing and New York with success.

大美為真，我們追求著，其人其畫，我的老同學周勇就是這樣不懈地追求，我想他還有更大的成功。

I truly believe that we all seek the beauty in objects and in people, and my dear friend Yong Zhou chased this throughout his life. He will continue to be exceptional.

 

楊曉陽

Yang, Xiao-Yang

2013年8月30日於北京

Aug.30th, 2013

作者楊曉陽先生為現任中國國家畫院院長

Mr.Yang is the President of Chinese National Academy of Painting