Chinese Art in America: Heavy-color oil painter displays his work at UN headquarters

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A leading Chinese artist is displaying his paintings at the United Nations headquarters. Changxin Zhou is recognized as the founder of "Heavy-Color Oil Painting" and he's in New York to spread the word. CGTN's John Terrett reports.

You either love it or loathe it, but you can't ignore it. Heavy-color oil painting isn't to everyone's taste, but it's gaining quite a following here in New York.

CHANGXIN ZHOU PAINTER "Heavy Color Oil Painting is a new art style that I have pioneered. It's a fusion of Chinese and western artistic traditions. From the west I take strong oil colors and from the East elements from my own home town in China."

Heavy-color oil painting lives up to its name - colorful and heavy - the colors are clear - but glance to one side of any of Zhou's paintings and you can see just how much oil paint is on the canvas - put on with a brush - or even a painting knife.

CHANGXIN ZHOU PAINTER "At the United Nations headquarters, I will exhibit a series of heavy color oil paintings that are mainly of nature - I like to focus on nature in my work - I'm able to express my feelings for life on earth through my painting."

In 2006, Changxin Zhou's painting "Spirit of China", was sold at auction for $1.9 million U.S. dollars, it helped make him a household name.

JOHN TERRETT NEW YORK "All the artwork that you see in this room has been painted during a tour right across America in the last couple of months and this one is the artist's favorite - it's painted in Arizona and it's called, "Homeland".

CHANGXIN ZHOU PAINTER "It depicts a cactus in the Arizona desert. There are two birds nesting in the cactus. Underneath is a snake. The idea is to show that the two birds and the snake can live in harmony in such a harsh environment. My message is that human beings should live in harmony in the world like the birds and the snake."

Changxin Zhou says though the United Nations isn't endorsing his work, the very fact that he's able to display it here is a clue to his wider hopes for the future.

CHANGXIN ZHOU PAINTER "My exhibition here at UN headquarters is very special to me. I believe art is universal. The language of art can be shared by all the people of the world. Many American art experts have expressed great interest in me as an artist. I'm hoping I can bring a greater understanding of Chinese society to America and the rest of the world through my painting."

As we part company, I'm reminded of another of Changxin Zhou's stated ambitions to help China secure a leading position in the story of modern art - when one day the history books are written. JT, CGTN, New York.