Liu Tung Mui
Painting the meaning of life

Liu
Tung Mui, a 28-year-old artist who has had cerebral palsy since birth,
uses strong colors in her paintings.(Courtesy
of Liu Tung Mui)
By Jerry Guo
Red is
her favorite color. “As a symbol of vitality and enthusiasm, red
is a true depiction of me,” said Liu Tung Mui, a 28-year-old artist
who has had cerebral palsy since birth. The disease makes it unable
for her to control her muscles.
She has
difficulty speaking.
“Painting
is my language,” she said through her mother, who acts as her
interpreter.
So far,
she has released three collections of works and won two awards. Her
paintings have been exhibited in Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau, Los Angeles
and Osaka.
Strong
color is the most distinctive feature of her paintings.
“I need the brightest colors to express my love for life. They
are the voice of my heart,” said the self-taught artist.
Ms. Liu
was born in Beijing, where she lived for 23 years.
“I
always experienced uncontrollable muscle cramp before the age of 5.
“So,
my mother held me in her arms day and night. For fear that I might bite
off my tongue when cramping, she let me bite her fingers.
“After
my health improved, I began writing Chinese characters to train my hand,”
she recalled.
It was
a struggle. A single character often wore her out.
At 11,
Ms. Liu started drawing.
Her interest
came from her sister, who is also an artist.
“I
used to watch my sister paint.
“Wondering
at the magical effect of painting, I began to draw in pencil,”
she said.
However,
a single stroke usually took her about 10 minutes.
“The
biggest obstacle at first was the difficulty in controlling hand muscles.
“I
concentrated all my strength on my hand and got thoroughly sweaty after
a simple stroke,” added she.
To solve
the problem, Ms. Liu drew for five hours every morning and made it a
habit.
In the
afternoon, she would read books, listen to music or watch TV to relieve
the exhaustion.
However,
compared to contemporaries, this kind of life was still boring for the
teenager.
“After
my parents went to work, I was the only one left at home.
“Bells
for class and students’ cheerful voices from a nearby school enticed
me. But, trapped by the wheelchair, I could only experience the outside
world through the window.
“Lonely
and depressed, I cried often and even attempted suicide,” said
Ms. Liu.
However,
her personality changed after a serious disease in 1992.
An allergic dropsy, which involved an excessive accumulation of serous
fluid, deformed her body.
She said,
“Only the nostrils remained visible on my face. I could not eat
or sleep because movement would cause pus to ooze from my skin.
“A
five-day struggle against death made me deeply realize the importance
of life. I have become strong and optimistic since.”
Ms. Liu started painting in water colors after recovery.
“I
need strong colors to express my innermost feelings and to communicate
with others.”
Daily
life and imagination are the sources of her creations. Birds, trees,
flowers, clouds, seas and dreams all appear in her work.
Through
painting, she expresses her understanding of the world, her love for
nature, her celebration of life, and her gratitude to her family.
Because
her sister is a permanent resident of Hong Kong, Ms. Liu and her family
were able to immigrate to Hong Kong in 1997.
She held
her first solo exhibition, Life/Rainbow, that same year with the help
of Hong Kong International College of Fine Arts.
The exhibition
evoked warm responses.
A visitor
who had just experienced an unrequited love held Ms. Liu in her arms
and wept. She said that the paintings dispelled her depression.
Ms. Liu
said, “This greatly encouraged me.
“Despite
my disabilities, I can still be helpful to others.”
Two years
later, Out of the Cocoon, her second exhibition, was held at the Hong
Kong Arts Centre.
Compared
with former works, her works this time featured brighter colors and
stron-ger contrast.
Ms. Liu
attributed these to the changes in her life.
“Due
to limited contact with the outside world, my life in Beijing was monotonous.
“This
was reflected in the mild style of my early works.
“However,
since I emigrated here and joined the Arts with the Disabled Association
of Hong Kong, my life has become varied and colorful,” said she.
She added
that art activities such as workshops, exchanges, festivals and outdoor
demonstrations have made her happier and more active.
“My
friends from the association even took me out for wheelchair dancing.
“My
enriched life stimulated my inspiration and creative desire. This led
to the strong style in my later works,” she said cheerfully.
Ms. Liu
said that black is vital to her paintings.
“To
me, black does not mean depression, but persistence and firmness, which
describe my belief in and determination about fate.”
In 2000,
after winning first place in the poster design contest of the 5th Hong
Kong Abilympics, Ms. Liu was made a delegate to the International Abilympics
2000 in Prague, Czech Republic.
She was
the first to finish and won second place in the Poster Design Section.
Said she:
“I cried for joy when receiving the award.
“It
was recognition for my years of effort and the honor I won for Hong
Kong.”
However,
she is not content. Winning the championship has become her biggest
wish.
“No
matter how long it takes and whatever difficulty I encounter, this will
be the objective I struggle for,” she said.
Although
painting is vital to her, Ms. Liu regards family as the No.1 thing in
her life.
She cannot
imagine how her life would be without care and support from her family.
“My
mother, especially, has spent all her energy on me.
“She
fed me for 17 years before I could feed myself.
“Every
noon she returned from work to prepare lunch and often had no time to
eat after feeding me.
“After
my leg muscles atrophied, she helped me to walk and massaged my legs
every day.
“When
I recovered, she suffered heart disease because of overworking,”
said Ms. Liu, tears in her eyes.
She is
also grateful to those concerned about her.
“Their
support and courage have heightened my confidence and become motivation
in my life.”
Ms. Liu
describes herself as a small boat in the sea.
“Life is like the sea, with waves and storms.
“Struggling
and struggling, I have survived and demonstrated my value.”

Left:
Liu Tung Mui uses this painting, Mother and Child, to extol her mother’s
dedication to her. (Courtesy of Liu Tung Mui) Right:Another piece by
Liu Tung Mui, The Origin of Life, triggers reflections on the essence
of life.(Courtesy of Liu Tung Mui)
Home