It is not about surpassing the masters who preceded us but more about opening new artistic vistas. It is about doing the things they didn't have a chance or the time to do.

To me, watercolor is a Western medium, so when I feel like I am using a Western manner I will use English to sign my name.

At that time, I was still in an experimental stage, trying to blend Western drawing techniques and Chinese brushwork together. It was harder for me back then... But that piece is special and important, because it represents vigilance and innocence; the kind of precious innocence only present at the beginning of a new artistic exploration.

It was a great test of my ability to work with... watercolors. And it was also a test of my patience; I needed to put myself in a completely disciplined position... I couldn't make mistakes.

When HSBC took the painting out of their building, they had to block the road and use a crane to bring the painting out from the window. They spent about 20,000 dollars just to get the painting out of the building! They said not to bring it back, and told Sotheby's to sell it immediately!

I had serious training of painting styles from different historical periods... But to have all this training is not enough to be an artist. You have to add a new page to history; otherwise you are not making a contribution. But making history is not easy.

Hyperrealism is more about objectifying... how an object can be portrayed when it is seen through a camera's lens... all my paintings are about an object being viewed through human eyes.