Painter's work is off the wall

It's 8 pm, and artist Wen Na is climbing the walls－in a good way. Wen Na, you see, is in the middle of her latest project, working inside a lighthouse in Dalian, Liaoning province, on a large-scale mural covering more than 400 square meters.

"Because the walls inside the lighthouse that ascend, are not horizontal, it requires more painting," says the artist, obviously excited at the challenge. "I've spent the past two weeks working here and today is supposed to be the last day of the project," she adds.

Known for her murals, which depict characters like mythological figures, based on traditional Chinese culture, Wen Na, whose real name is Chen Xingxing, has been traveling around the world to paint on walls of various sizes.

She has just wrapped up a project in collaboration with the fifth season of The Coming One, a reality show by Tencent Video, which is expected to be screened this year.

The show, that hopes to uncover the next big star for the Chinese original music scene, has come a long way since 2017. It has introduced pop stars, such as singer-songwriter Mao Buyi, 27, who rose to fame after being crowned champion in the first season of the show. Now, he has garnered over 19 million followers on microblogging platform Sina Weibo.

In its fifth season, the show gathers young Chinese musicians against the backdrop of a campus, called The Coming One Summer School, where competitions will take place. A group of celebrities: singer-songwriter Ma Di, rock band Wu Tiao Ren, singer Tang Tsz-Kei, better known as G.E.M., singer-actor Wang Yuan and talk show performer Li Xueqin, will also join in the show.

Wen Na was invited to paint for the show, including major visual images and images for the celebrity judges.

"I've never painted real people. All the characters in my paintings came from my own imagination. It's challenging, yet very interesting," says Wen Na, adding that the collaboration went smoothly and she spent about three months working on the project. "I didn't want the paintings to look like those real people. What I am trying to capture is their character."

"Since I travel a lot, I paint anywhere and anytime I can. I hope that audience will get a sense of my paintings. I also wish to offer a fresh perspective to the reality show," the artist says.

According to Wang Xinxuan, head of Young Blood Studio under Tencent Video, who is also the producer of the fifth season of The Coming One, the creativity and originality of Wen Na's paintings are impressive, showcasing the artist's unique artistic language. Her art works give traditional Chinese culture and mural paintings a modern twist, which appeals to audiences, especially the younger generation, Wang believes. Her technique also demands a sustained gaze.

Wang also notes that in its fifth season, the reality show will further display the vibrancy of Chinese original music talents.

Born and raised in Beijing, Wen Na started to paint as a child thanks to her family, which is full of contemporary artists. She graduated from the Academy of Arts & Design of Tsinghua University with a printmaking major.

Her love for mural paintings started in 2010 when she visited Sanbao, a village in China's porcelain capital of Jingdezhen in East China's Jiangxi province.

Ceramic artist Li Jianshen met Wen Na in the village and let her paint on a wall. Wen Na painted for two days, featuring characters of traditional Chinese gods, such as the kitchen god Zaowangye and Du Kang, the god of liquor.

She also painted the first god she created on the wall－Shu Hai, as well as making up a story for the character. Shu Hai refers to a sea god, whose power is constrained by clay.

Since then, Wen Na has traveled back and forth between Beijing and Jingdezhen to create more characters on walls through her paintings.

"I have a great time in Jingdezhen, which is like my second home. I paint without any draft or plan. When I start to paint on the walls, I have no idea how the painting will end. It's all about improvisation and following my instinct," says Wen Na.

Besides Jingdezhen, the artist has been commissioned to paint on walls at public spaces in cities. For example, she painted for a restaurant in Wudaoying hutong in downtown Beijing. She also painted for a hotel in Dali, Yunnan province.

The artist was invited to create art posters for director Chen Kaige's hit movie, Legend of the Demon Cat, in 2017.

In 2020, a painting, 4 meters high and 40 meters long, appeared in the subway station of Guomao, in Beijing's Central Business District. The painting, by Wen Na, features over 60 characters of various images resembling traditional Chinese gods. Titled Picture of Gods Going to Work, the painting, with its humorous concept and bright, vibrant colors, received positive feedback from the busy commuters.

For Wen Na, one of the best parts of creating those paintings in public spaces is "when you see people engaging with the mural and taking photos".

The artist also released a book, titled Wen Na Jing, or the works of Wen Na, which records the imaginative characters she has created over the years. Each of the characters has his or her own name as well as a story coming along with it.

"I am not an expert of traditional Chinese culture. But those elements appear in my head when I start to paint," says Wen Na, elaborating her unique style based on traditional Chinese culture.

"I guess that it's because I grew up with it and it's in my blood," she says, adding that those characters come alive through different art forms, like mural paintings and sculptures. "It's always fun to paint. I enjoy the freedom when I start to paint."