When I started teaching in the late 60s, in a time of student revolutions and changes, they changed in question of society and authority.

When I was invited to go to Wuhan, I didn't know anything about it, so I looked up the Wikipedia about Wuhan. I discovered that part of Wuhan used to be Hankou, and then I realised that my great grandmother came from Hankou. My grandmother and father were both born in Hankou. Of all the places in China, it is the most amazing place to have asked for my exhibition. I needed to go back where my family comes from!

If you close the door to the things you feel comfortable with, you will never discover the truth about yourself.

I decided I should use the most obvious colours - the basic colours with simple names: red, purple, yellow, pink. I don't distort the objects, I don't change the objects, I draw them exactly as they are. I do the opposite with the colours.

Whatever happens to the art world, art will go on regardless. As for obscurity, it looms just over the horizon beckoning us all. Why worry.

I am trying to present objects in the simplest way possible, and I don't want to supply too much context.

You can't honour someone by copying them or trying to be exactly like them.