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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)

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