Pu Jie: Let's Play Chess Together  Without end 

Supreme instruction 1: "Study well and make progress everyday." That was the first sentence I learned during my first class at the age of seven. I began to learn how to read and write. 

Supreme instruction 2: "Destroy the four olds and establish the four news." At the age of thirteen I destroyed antiques and worshiped dacron shirts. 

Supreme instruction 3: "All reactionaries are paper tigers." At the age of fifteen I hated imperialism, revisionism. 

Supreme instruction 4: "The intelligent youth should go to the countryside." At the age of seventeen 1 believed in great success and was determined to become a barefoot doctor. 

Supreme instruction 5: "We want to make atom-bombs, too." At the age of eighteen I sweated all over ... During several years I kept on drawing on paper. Sometimes into the late night and disturbed family members' sleep. 

Some years later I became sensitive to the gap in culture, sensitive to conflicts, contradictions, splits, I tried to depict my concrete sensitivity through drawings. It is said that with concreteness, it is possible to escape generality and move ahead. Art means conception: what is true? For instance: Chinese chess-culture resembles chess: antagonism, struggle and change. These elements exist between history and today, between individuals and the society. But I don't want to intensify the struggle. I try my best to compromise. 

Liz Hiller, a correspondent of a German magazine, said: "May I ask you some questions about art?" 

Answer: "Are there any questions about art?" Critics have many questions. But artists too only have questions..." 

Zhao Fu-gen, a peasant from Ningxia, and an acquaintance for six years: "The picture is good! Very good! Wonderful!" Answer: "Really? Is it good?" I was half hypocritical, half sincere. 

Suzuki, a professor of a Japanese university, artist, said: "I like your painting." I thought he was just polite. 

Li Yun, a primary school pupil in Shanghai, asked: "What are you painting?" Answer: "Nothing, just a picture." 

Jamy Joy, professor of a Hongkong university, asked: "What do you think is the measure in judging a picture?" Answer: "Sex, age, features, blood type, habits and the number of one's identification card. An artist should have a genuine individual identification card."