A bull is a creature that works hard, toils, and does a lot of heavy lifting. 在我们的传统文化中，牛常常是吃苦耐劳、开疆拓土的象征。 Han Meilin, one of the most productive artists in China, often says: "I'm destined to work as hard as a bull throughout my life."
身为中国创作力最为旺盛的艺术家之一，韩美林先生曾说：“上苍告诉我，韩美林你就是头牛，这辈子你就干活吧！” Han, a sprightly 85-year-old, paints, designs, writes and exhibits with an energy that would do justice to someone half his age. 今年已经85岁的韩先生仍然笔耕不辍，画画、设计、写作、做展览……他旺盛的精力让年轻人也不得不甘拜下风。 ▲ 工作中的韩美林先生 Han's latest pieces are sculptures of four bronze bulls, which were unveiled in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Dec 21. 而他最新的作品中就包括上月在深圳揭幕的这一组青铜牛。 The bulls were put up for auction, with the proceeds going to a charity that raises funds for an art education program for rural children. 这四头任劳任怨的《四季牛》最终经由慈善拍卖，为韩美林艺术基金会乡村儿童艺术体验课程的公益项目做出了贡献。 The event coincided with the opening of his solo exhibition, Han Meilin Chinese Zodiac Art Exhibition, which will run through Feb 28 at the Nanshan Museum in Shenzhen. 与此同时，“韩美林生肖艺术展”也在深圳南山博物馆拉开帷幕，展览将持续到2月底。 Animals, especially the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, appear regularly in Han's creations, whatever medium he works with. For example, he designed special stamps that were issued by China Post to celebrate the Year of the Pig in 1983, the Year of the Rooster in 2017, the Year of the Pig in 2019 and the Year of the Rat in 2020. 动物尤其十二生肖常常出现在美林先生不同风格、主题和材质的作品里。比如他先后设计了83年生肖猪、17年生肖鸡、19年生肖猪和20年生肖鼠年的邮票。 The exhibition at the Nanshan Museum shows paintings, calligraphic scrolls, sculptures and ceramics, as well as designs for furniture, clay teapots and postage stamps, which are themed around the animals of the zodiac. 这次的生肖主题艺术展包罗万象，有绘画、书法和雕塑，以及陶瓷、家具、紫砂壶、邮票设计等等。 Han's work reflects that he has been nurtured by the rich soil of Chinese cultural traditions and folk arts, while also integrating modern elements to give his creations a globalized outlook. 美林先生的创作得益于中华文化传统和民间艺术的滋养；同时他融入现代元素、使得作品的魅力跨越国界和东西文化的藩篱。 ▲ 《鼠瓶》陶瓷 The vibrant beauty of the structures in Han's work arises from his study of archaic Chinese characters, which he has collected for decades. His extensive collection includes those inscribed on oracle bones, stones and bronze, as well as pictorial symbols in caves. 韩先生的作品里那些充满活力和想象力的结构形状来自他对于古代中国文字的收集和研究。多年来，他累积整理了许多古代文字和图形，比如甲骨文、石鼓文、青铜铭文和原始洞穴壁画中的图形符号。 He also reaches out to folk art, drawing inspiration from its diverse color schemes. 同时，他又从绚丽多彩的民间工艺品上得到了许多启发。 Over the years, Han was able to collect handicrafts from the places he visited and was amazed by the creativity of the people. He integrated the visual elements into his creations, evoking among the audience a feeling of nostalgia and warmth. 他常年出门采风，一路收集民间手工艺。他将这些饱含百姓生活智慧的视觉元素融入自己的创作，因此他的作品充满生活气息，极易在观众中引发温暖的怀旧之情。 The eye-catching imagery in Han's body of work pertaining to the signs of the zodiac is popular because it embodies a spirit of simplicity, purity and kindness that deeply touches the viewer. 美林先生打造的生肖世界简单、纯真、美好，触及我们的心灵深处。 In Han's visual vocabulary, these animals reflect his belief that "all life is equal and has spirituality". He conveys the necessity to respect the rules of nature. 万物平等、万物有灵、尊重自然规律，这也是韩先生想要传递给我们的信息。 Photos courtesy of artist, Han Meilin Art Foundation and Nanshan Museum图片致谢韩美林先生、韩美林艺术基金会，南山博物馆 Have a nice weekend~ 记者：林琦
