他的早期作品着重表现都市青年的生存心态，不乏"文气"与"童心"，在形象上有少男少女的青春缱绻与天真无邪，在笔墨上可以看出对中国传统绘画的结构布局和水墨韵味的文脉继承。
雷子人就读研究生期间的作品具有多种审美趣味，显示出他正进入一个活跃的探索期，有许多新的想象与急切的试验。他没有单纯在中国画的内部解决风格与笔墨问题，而是着眼于中外艺术的比较研究，并且在中国画的传统基础上加以融合，直面作品与作者的关联意义。近期他的作品在视觉图式的基础上着重探讨笔墨结构中的文化情态，以往那种在画面上随意游走的速写式生活切片，转化为近景中的人物形象的平面结构与色彩关系的研究，超现实的梦幻场景增强了中国画传统中的主观表现意味。
在雷子人的作品中，对生命的敏感，是与中国画材料对情绪、感受反应的敏感相联系的，他试图用中国画的传统审美观念，溶入当代生活去寻求对现代人心境的理解。这种生存与发展的渴望--对美好事物的向往，往往给予我在观画时瞬间的感动，我说不清楚这种感动是源于对往昔时光的眷恋或是对未来岁月的某种企盼。雷子人不惮其烦地描绘青春的恍惚与爱的执著，我在他的画中感受到生命的短暂，在山林的阳光清流中，想象都市街道上那些往来如潮的人们将以怎样的心境融入生活。
摘自 殷双喜《雷子人“入境”展序》
在他步人独立创作的初期，记录如梦如幻的童年和青春，用城市化的环境因素的植人，以及概括化、简洁化的景物交代，传达出一种对时间流逝和幻觉生成的留恋，是他作品中突出的特点，我们不妨说他这是在画时间。到了他进三年攻读硕士研究生期间的作品，有一个新的变化值得注意，那就是对具体景物的留念已经越来越淡化，而对画中人物的形体本身却越来越关注，而且人物形象在画中比例越来越大，我们也不妨说他这是在画空间。
雷子人并没有把自己认定为水墨实验画家，但从他对人物形体的空间结构和造型表达的结果看，却在画面的内容与形式的结合上达到了很好的效果，既有笔墨趣味，又有形体的质感。
从意识到传统笔墨表达方式面对现实生活的荒诞和失落，到自觉地以自己的方式探索中国水墨语言的表现力，脱落掉越来越多的情节和梦幻，愈发给人物对象本身以格外的关注，雷子人看似失去了许多现实的真实，其实却得到了更深一层的真实，一种绘画本身能否在当代生活中安生立命的真实。如果在随后的探索中能够在条件允许的情况下，逐步扩大这种真实的存在空间，使绘画本身重返丰富多采的生活本身，那将是中国画或称水墨画的再发展之日。
摘自 高岭《从画时间到画空间--关于雷子人的画》
雷子人当然已远离现代主义，他更接近的是后现代主义，这并不是说他采用了什么后现代主义艺术的样式，而是一种非现代主义或非形式主义的经验。这么说好像用了一个很大的题目，实际上还是很简单，也就是说，他是从自己的经验出发，一步步地回归自我，这个自我是大自我，即原始的生命。这个过程并不简单，他不是像米罗或亨利•摩尔那样直接搬用原始的样式，或用水墨来抄袭古代文化的符号，在他的画中看不到一点符号的痕迹，同时也看不到做作的痕迹，一切都非常自然。
事实上，性爱并不是雷子人的真正主题，他是通过性爱把人还原到本能的、原始的生命，当我们感受到其形式的表现力时，他实际上也还原了自己的生命。他的形式来自于他的生命体验，这不是对现实生命的直接体验，而是对生命本能的体验，所谓原始状态，就是指他的艺术产生在这种还原的过程中。他的作品调动起我们的生命冲动，我们才会被他的形式所感动，他所具有的，正是我们缺失的。
摘自 易英《原 始 状 态--谈雷子人的画》
从雷子人近期画的一些近似于都市寓言式的作品（如《瑶池》、《折翅》、《堕六尘》、《落霞》、《圣水》等）中，我们不难看到他对都市人的生存状态所作出一种理解和思考。在当代水墨画中，能够像雷子人这样让自己的作品更贴近当代人的生活的例子实在是太少了。
我们当然也可以从其他角度切入来讨论雷子人的作品。他的不拘一格，使他在艺术上表现出多方面的才能，如在油画、陶艺、人体、风景等不同领域，他都有所涉猎，从古典到现代，他都有所借鉴。虽然还不是一种很成熟的状态（也许这并非坏事），但却处处能让我感到一种源自心灵的勃发生机。唯一的担心是，在走向自由、走向熟练的过程中，还能否保持这种生涩的感觉而不使油滑。"画到生时是熟时"，郑板桥的见地很高，但他自己也没有完全做到。但愿雷子人能做得好些。
摘自 贾方舟，《艺术与人--我看雷子人的画》
我的感觉让我喜欢雷子人的作品，“感伤”亦好，“情色”亦好，我喜欢！凭着直觉，我不满意雷子人受夏加尔等人的影响太深，但是，他用中国水墨自在的、甚至是惫懒的笔法，漫不经心地画出各色的女人男人，让人感觉曲折暧昧难言，它与现实生活的艰难形成鲜明的对比，让我的内心与作品同时飞扬在超越现实的时空之中。他有时也是焦虑的痛苦的，但是他从不把它直接示意，而是转换成一种感伤和情色的诗情。这种“节制”成为雷子人作品的意味重要延续之一，所以当我怀着观看世俗画的经验，希望得到感官的愉悦时，“感官”不见了，节制使有教养的观者的感官产生了位移。
摘自 杭间《自在的感伤》
子人不大计较别人说他平时远离了艺术圈，子人用心体味的是俗中雅，是那些长年泡在艺术圈里的人光靠想像力根本深入不下去的东西。近年来，子人作品之 屡出新意，与其无悔于入俗随俗的心境是相关联的。每每观其新作，当眼前一亮时，我不免就会联想到子人平静、率意、逍遥的心境。唐孟浩然尝道：“吾诗思在风雪中驴子背上。”我以为，子人作画的情思大多就来自世俗深层某些元素的启发，子人似乎很擅长开掘它，也乐于开掘。
雅士狂斟浊酒、乱拍青琴而后出乐府骈文，不能不说那是好诗好文。世俗男女今天递给张三一个冷眼、明天背着李四嘲笑几番，其言语、其目光、其姿态所成就的也都是好文章，琐碎一些而已。很高兴，子人有这类看法。以艺术的逍遥之心品世俗，以世俗的逍遥之眼做艺术，作为其朋友，细一想，不乐则更待何为？
摘自 王九楼《天道无亲亲者近——雷子人印象》
和新生代画家不同，雷子人的作品更具有“文气”与“童心”。他的作品，没有重大题材绘画中所常有的戏剧化冲突与亢奋，也没有愤世妒俗与肆意变形。在形象上，有少男少女的青春缱绻与天真无邪；在笔墨上，可以看出对八大山人的结构布局和对傅抱石《丽人行》一类作品水墨韵味的文脉继承。
雷子人的近期作品具有不同的审美趣味，显示出他正进入一个活跃的创作探索期，有许多新的想象与急切的试验。其中最主要的，我认为是他的视野日渐开阔，不是在中国画的内部解决风格上的笔墨趣味，而是着眼于中西两种不同的艺术审美原则的比较研究，并试图在中国画的传统基础上加以融合。
摘自 殷双喜《境由心生——雷子人的中国画近作》
雷子人是一个安详的梦幻诗人，室内景、人体素描、城市景色，实际上都统一在这种出自心灵的诗意之中。他总是在不停地过渡，从一个题材滑向另一个题材。他是在生活中遭遇到这些题材的，而不是刻意找寻的，每一个题材又都被他改造成喃喃自语般地低吟浅唱，现实的生活成了记忆的符号和生命的痕迹。他的形式和语言随着题材的变换总是会越来越丰富和复杂，然而他又总是能以最单纯的方式把题材表现出来。什么时侯他走出了梦幻，在世俗中沉沦，那种诗意消失了，我们就会感受到他在技术上的熟练与精湛，其实那倒真的没什么意思了。
摘自 易英《梦与诗的情境——读雷子人的画》
雷子人的水墨作品题材单纯而意境丰富，水墨语言的运用如同题材本身，反璞归真，没有过多的夸张和炫耀。人物的刻画简逸而细腻，虽有风花雪月的浪漫情怀，却没有世俗的圆熟与甜腻，这与他有意运用的朴拙的笔墨相应成趣。
他的人物画，不仅有戴进、陈洪绶等中国传统水墨人物画宗师的遗风，也有西方现代主义鼻祖塞尚、马蒂斯风格的影子。显然，雷子人还在他所从事的插图、设计、剪纸和制陶等艺术活动中得到了触类旁通的启发。结合现代形式和民间传统艺术的水墨试验是当代中国画艺术家在革新水墨语言过程中所普遍采用的方式。作为中央美术学院培养的年轻一代艺术家，雷子人的绘画语言延续并正在发展着与他有直接师承关系的学院水墨人物画的革新传统。而雷子人的独特性在于他在结合其他艺术形式时所表现的一种超然、自然的态度。像他这一代年轻的艺术家对于中国和西方、传统与现代、民间与经典的艺术形式的结合和取舍显得更为轻松随意，他们从一开始对于各种视觉经验的接受就是开放式的，他们的水墨实验无须特意强调某一种特别的模式，也不可能无视人类视觉文化中的任何一个部分。
摘自 邵亦杨《读雷子人的近作》
他所涉猎的创作领域有水墨画、油画和陶艺，创作量更是惊人，十分勤奋。他的主要创作方向是水墨画，其中又当以人物画最为突出。可以说，他是纯粹地在“玩艺术”，但又不是在玩笔墨游戏，更不是什么无关痛痒的“遁世者”。
他对图式（写形、造型、烘染、经营位置等）有着特殊的敏感和把握能力，他善于兼收并蓄，并尽量做到不露痕迹，使他的折中风格显得与众不同（需要突破的也正是这种折中风格）最重要的还是他对水墨画变革所持的稳健态度和一贯执着的实践。他的创作潜力比较大，更多的优秀成果将会不断地涌现出来。
摘自 陈孝信 美术文献《雷子人推介词》
雷子人同学作为李老师的研究生，近两年来创作了许多探索性作品，包括他的学术论文，都引起了大家的关注。（田黎明）
雷子人的作品很明显受到西方优秀画家如马蒂斯、夏加尔的影响，也有一些毕加索的影响。再有是对中国水墨的感觉也不错，他不是山水专业，但他也有几幅山水作品，从山水的角度来说可能不是最好的，但是你能看出他对山水是有感觉的，而且对笔墨、对现代构图的感觉很准。在艺术中最艰难、最重要的是感觉，不可说不可谈，却又要以它来评判。（邱振中）
摘自《美术研究》2003年第3期《多元开放 厚积薄发——中国画系第三工作室教学研讨会纪要 》
雷子人的画包含了很多的东西，各种因素融化为一个具有个性的整体，从题材、表现性到画面的处理，都和我们的日常经验没有隔膜，我们可以轻松地进入他设置的场景，与他一起观看和欣赏……这是一种理想的结果，但是，也隐藏了危机，说明他操持的语言不够“陌生化”，换种表达，是指他仅仅在运用各种现成的表现手法，没有将它们锻造成新的“语言”。譬如，我们既可以发现他拥有一些“传统”功夫，又有一些“洋”的手段，这几乎是上百年来力求“创新”的中国画家的共同方式，其典范即是林风眠，无论是林的同代人，还是后来者，皆到此为止。
雷子人的画中潜伏着某种才华，它随意、率性、偶发、灵动，好好加以利用的话，会开出令人惊羡的硕果，但若不小心，也会因此变得轻飘和单薄。
摘自 李小山《要做就要做得更好》
雷子人所画的人物，在画面中看来仿佛是抽离了具体时间，空间和情境的活动片段的组合。时间和情节的概念在他的画面中似乎不再重要，和中国绘画的传统一样，画家竭力想要表现的是一种宁静、平和的心态。但是实际上，雷子人的人物素材大多是来自现实生活中具有某种具体性的场景，他的工作不过是挑选一些更为安静的场景，打破具体性的编织，按照理想的方式将若干行为动作重新结合在一起，最后，出现在他画面中的人物，往往是处在一种风花雪月的浪漫情怀之中，很明显，在画家选择的素材和画面的最后呈现之间，从创作开始就发生了一个微妙的质变。
在雷子人的画面中，我们可以清晰地感觉到真正发生矛盾冲突的不是两种局部性的语汇的冲突，而是由艺术语言所催化的生活信念和由社会现实所造就的现实体验的冲突。作为一个对水墨语言有着良好悟性的画家，雷子人试图坚信他能像他所喜爱的那些大师们一样以自己的方式来整合现实对于个人体验的粉碎。但是现实生活的发展又使他无法逃避情绪的主宰，无论是从他对语言的使用看，还是从对内容的选择看，他总是在竭力控制画面中的情绪性表达，但又总是无法完全抑制住情绪的流露。如果从这个角度看，我们与其说雷子人是一个画梦的画家，倒不如说他是一个在半梦半醒之间表达的画家；与许多和他语言形态相仿的画家相比，他既没有完全沉溺在虚幻的梦境中，也没有被廉价的情绪化表达所吞没。他的作品的意义恰恰就在于性情和情绪的冲突之间，在这种矛盾冲突的无意流露中我们能够捕捉到在中国文化的转型期里人文价值内在变化的某些极具魅力的轨迹。
摘自 皮力《在平静的背后》
雷子人的作画方式有些类似夏加尔、雷东、布莱克等各位时常被称作“心象主义”的大师。所谓“记录”，常常仅仅是记录了种种如同梦境的幻觉。但我从这些年中能够清晰地感知，这就是我们的青春，我们在大学里的日子，雷子人常常将它们与童年的追忆联系在一起。我不能想象“采莲”以及“放风筝”等如烟往事在雷子人的心灵中究竟唤起了怎样的一种美好感觉，使他会不厌其烦地在多种场合描绘它们。雷子人实际上是在画时间。
摘自 伍劲《“雷子人作品展”前言》
子人喜欢用点，线，墨和淡色作为基本的语言符号。在材料的使用方面，诸如墨，水，和宣纸，他保持了传统的纯粹性。而传统文人画中所追求的笔墨变得相对次要。但子人的作品还是正在形成自己的一套语言格式，例如多使用一些清淡的长短不一的线条，显得松散而随意，透着湿润的墨与色，画面上随处可见到未经修饰的笔触，平添了恬淡而自我满足的轻松感。他不追求语言的完美性，但却逐步衍生出自己艺术语言的完整性，一种看似随意的，轻松的，娱乐性的，表现性的视觉面貌出现。这样的面貌给你以这一派纯任天然的面貌，仿佛在戒除学院化的精英化的趣味和格调， 使之更加接近生活与感受的真实，有血有肉，有体温的真实性与现实感，如同波德莱尔笔下的多罗泰。这样的真实性不是依靠对现实生活场景的写实性描绘，而是来源于与每一个当代中国都市人生活经历相关的现实情景的敏锐与真切的把握与传达，尤其是对感情生活的各个侧面与细节很敏感的女性而言，子人的画更有不可代替的表现力和感染力。
虽然子人的作品的灵感来源于今日中国的现实生活，但作品中浸透着西方晚期印象主义和超现实主义艺术的精神格调，也有象征主义的某些微妙借用。所不同的是，子人使用的艺术语言却是中国传统的绘画材料。
子人对于中国人物画的发展和演变的研究是极其深入和缜密的。，从他那厚厚的硕士论文中也可以体现出他对中国水墨人物画的梳理与思考。这与许多画家的强调感性是不同的。从这个意义上讲，子人的画更多的是学者的画，是更严格意义上的“文人画”。
摘自 张朝晖《画女人 读生活——观雷子人作品有感》
雷子人的画总有清新、率性之感，画中的人物就像邻家的女孩、男孩，亲切，感性，好做梦，体现了当下青年人在日常生活中所挥发、耗散的一种诗意。飘忽的梦境与幻觉，作为他童年记忆的延续，早已成为他一尘不染的精神家园。这个家园似乎可居可游，他随时可以遁入，也随时可以逸出。雷子人自由出入于现实与超现实这两个空间，对他而言，其中并无界限、阻隔。他骨子里又是一个浪漫的唯美主义者，从现实生活到内心的往返过渡和穿梭，雷子人可以在画中不动声色地加以实现，由此，那些面目不清、神似而形不似的水墨人物形象渐渐沉潜下来，传神地揭示出青年人尤其是青年女子心理层面上的隐秘。
雷子人试图打造一种个人话语优先的语境。即便是表达的一种幻想、一种寓意，使用的仍是同样的语汇，使用他最熟悉的女孩、男孩形象。这其实就是一种“入境”的努力，他对表达真实有所期许，并带有一定的文化反省和社会批判的态度。他的人物具有莫名的孤独感。即便画面有两人、多人也互不应对，状态迷茫、疏离。表面情色的画面，却无激情燃烧。观者在画面上真正看见的是裸露的人性，以及人与人之间心理鸿沟。这些画面人物并不真实，但却真切地指向全球化社会条件下的每个个人。2005年《水性》系列、《新古意》系列和2006年《圣水》系列，则代表了雷子人试图回到中国传统人文精神上的一种努力。对他而言是“出境”。他以逃向精神家园的方式，完成对现代社会所有难题的一次逃避式的超越。古人的闲情逸致是这一观念的最好注脚。雷子人进得去、出得来的活跃身段，使他成为一个频频跨界、触犯保守规条的艺术家。这也令他获得自我批判的勇气。
摘自 顾振清《出境与入境》
雷子人无疑是当今年轻一代艺术家中的佼佼者。
他的大量作品突出地体现了一种感受力，即感悟生活的能力（所谓才气，这才是最主要的一条），并充分地利用和调动了他自身的生活经验，诸如“不落的童话”、“乡村情结”、“都市体验”、“恋母”、“情色”、“怀古之想”等等。创作时，既是凭着记忆率性随意，兴之所至，也在同时借助于想象力，作了一番移花接木般的精心“嫁接”，于是便产生了一幅幅流露着几分亲切，几分陌生，几分诡异，几分诙谐，几分荒诞，几分神秘，几分生动的画面。 画面中总是暗藏着一种不确定性因素，加之题材和表现角度不断变更，奇思佳构犹如泉涌，故令人有目不暇接、难以捉摸之感。由此便可见，他首先是一位造“境”（创造“情景模式”）的高手。然而，造“境”的目的却在于入“境”。入“境”的含义据雷子人的理解是在于“体验生命状态”。故而雷子人作品中那些感性而美丽（尤其是那些千姿百态、万般娇媚的女子）、伤怀而迷离的画面，无不流露出一份真性情，并贴近我们的心灵。 故国神游，常怀千秋之忧（“逝者如斯”）；男儿本色，尽现人文关注（现世情怀）。而且常常是诗情与禅意交融，童心与文心并具，既表现得直白而激情洋溢，又不时地体现出一种有节制的雍和之美。总之，深切的生命关注和一种积极入世的新文人气质构成了他作品中显目的亮点。
摘自 陈孝信《造“境”与入“境”》
子人绘画所展示的那个情色世界十分类似于曹雪芹在《红楼梦》中所塑造的大观园，那里姿态万千的众女子都是宝玉“意淫”的对象。“意淫”不同于“皮肤淫滥”和“好色不淫”。“滥淫”只有性的成分，“不淫”没有性的成分，“意淫”则界于二者之间，它消减了生理上的直接性和强迫性，增加了想像上的丰富性和含蓄性，是人们对情色世界进行自由观照的惟一方式。与火一般烧灼或泥一般浑浊的滥淫不同，意淫总是如水一般澄静。子人的画之所以能给人一种总体上的水的感觉，一个很重要的原因就在于他揭示了一个只可意淫的、水一般的情色世界。
随着时间的流逝，《红楼梦》中的大观园开始颓败，那个水一般的情色世界逐渐毁灭，无限美好的有情之天下终究是一个太虚幻境，人们最终必须面对那个现实世界注定是个无法澄清的染缸。这是《红楼梦》让人警醒、引人深思的地方。子人的画中也体现了这种思考。画家借画面中出现的那些神态各异的小男人表达了这种思考，他们有的惊异，有的木然，他们在观看着，思考着。这是一种复杂的、不确定的思考，也许没有人能够完全了解他们的思考内容。
只要体会到画家的这种沉思，就不难感受到子人的画面所隐约传达的一种惆怅。这种惆怅源于美好世界终将何去何从的疑问。那种水一般的情色世界最终会像水一样伤逝无痕吗？对于在中国文化中熏陶起来的人们来说，答案似乎不幸地是肯定的。两千多年前的夫子就有“逝者如斯”的感叹，踞于水的境界的最高点的就是伤逝，这是在这种感叹中成长起来的中国文人的一种独特的情愫。
摘自 彭锋《水的境界》
在中国当代水墨画坛，雷子人脱颖而出，适逢其会。因为都市人业已适应并认同了虚拟之图和变态之象；又因为整个中国当代绘画正在走向平和与专业化。
雷子人水墨艺术的精神源头有三：不求形似，聊写逸气的古文人创作心态；夏加尔、毕加索等西方现代画家形式化幻象的余绪；中国浪漫文学传统。
雷子人画中的男女主题，非关情感与欲望，甚至逸出了审美。没有感官的愉悦和性事的念想，相反，那些符号化的两性形态，总是提示着生命的无状和灵魂的困顿，愈是亲密愈是疏离。在这一点上，雷子人触及到了现代人的心灵现实。
从本科、硕士到博士，雷子人一直都在中央美院。处中国最大学院之门户却看不出正统气息和谱系面目，与田黎明、刘庆和、武艺的成功途径相仿，他也是以非美院的姿态投入探索性实践而自具标格。雷子人的艺术，再一次让我们对学院派和现代艺术教育重新加以考量。
“是国际化，还是民族化？抑或愈民族愈国际？我想，还是取诸造化，及于身心来得便当。”我在１９９４年的《中国画》上发过这样的议论。对于艺术来说，再高级的策略，再宏大的志向，都无法代替个体的性灵与作为。中国当代艺术是顾及“本土”还不够，更要深入本心和本性，这才是正道。雷子人正在这条道上从容行走，可以漫步，可以远征。
摘自 钟儒乾《散议雷子人》
雷子人作品注重情感的抒发，注重对情调的捕捉。无论是风筝放飞的情节，还是树下花前的情侣，都看出雷子人对时光易逝的感慨与浓郁的怀旧情绪。优秀的作品大都给人惘然若失进而意犹未尽的感受，其中的奥妙就在于作者的悲天悯人之情。雷子人努力挖掘的情感因素就体现了一种怀旧的情感。对爱情的表述是雷子人的又一个话题。相爱的人沉溺在半是睡眠半是陶醉的情感之中，是雷子人对爱的题材的基本表述，完成着作者对爱的理解。缠绵缱绻与似水年华，是雷子人咏叹的主题。
摘自 郭晓川《今日中国美术》展览卷撰评
雷子人对水墨语言的感悟体现在背离与消解笔墨精熟状态后舒缓从容的意致中。这是一种工写结合的手法：一气呵成的洒脱被置换成断断续续的随意用笔，人物的描写运用了自由的晕染，背景的铺陈则以写意的方式出之。透视关系既不符合西方强调中心结构的焦点法则，也不符合传统中国画的散点“三远”法。形象是散置的，随着意境、气氛的变化而变化着，或者说，变化着的自由的人物组合、空间透视营造了不同的意境和情感氛围，因而产生了一种散漫的气息，这种散漫无疑是画家某种失落情绪的释放。他试图远离现实生活的喧嚣，寻找一片平和宁静的生存空间。画家审美记忆中美妙的生活片段被精心地编织在一起，具体的时空转换成一种似真似幻的理想化境地，仿佛真实的人物处于虚幻的梦境之中，这种荒诞意味使人感到画家内心的虚无与茫然，流露出画家对生存状态的关注和对个人体验的深入洞察，暗示了当代人感性生活和感受方式的深刻变化。
摘自 韩朝《今日中国美术》首卷撰评
His early works focus on the existing mentality of urban youth, with quite some “gentleness” and “innocence”. The imageries express the tender attachment and pure innocence of youth. His master of brush and ink indicates a continuation of the composition and ink manner of traditional Chinese painting.
The multiple aesthetics in Lei Ziren’s works during his postgraduate program suggests he entered into an active exploring period with many new imaginations and urgent experiments. Instead of dealing the style and ink problem within Chinese painting, he chose to focus on the comparative research of Chinese and foreign art, fuse then on base of the Chinese painting tradition, and face directly to the issues of association between artwork and artist. His recent works explore the cultural conditions in brush and ink composition from visual pattern perspectives. The earlier sketch-like life segments transform into a research of figures’ graphic composition and color relationship in close and medium shot, and by the setting of surreal scenery, he enhances the subjective expression in Chinese painting tradition.
His tenderness to life is closely related to his sensitivity to the material and emotions in Chinese paintings. He tries to fuse the traditional aesthetics in Chinese painting into his understanding on the contemporary frame of mind. His aspirations to surviving and development, as well as his longing to beauties always bear me momentary movement in front of his paintings. It is hard to explain whether the movement origines from the missing of past time, or the expectation to future life. He patiently portrays the trance of youth and the insistence of love. In his paintings, I feel the life’s transitoriness from the bright sunshine and clear water in mountain forest, imagine the tide-like people coming and go on streets, and the mentality they fuse themselves into life.
Yin Shuangxi, Forword for Lei Ziren’s “Into Context” …In his early works, he recorded the dreamlike childhood and youth, and communicated his reluctance to the lapse of time and illusion by introducing urban elements and presenting landscape in a brief way. We might claim he was painting time at this period. Then he spent three years on the master program, when a noticeable change happened in his works. Less attention is paid the landscape details, but more focused to the figures themselves occupying much bigger proportions than before. We may say he is painting space.…
…Lei Ziren never considers himself an ink painter, but the figures’ spatial composition and shaping does reach a perfect balance of content and form, as well as ink taste and sense of physical reality.
…Lei Ziren moves from consciously expressing the reality ridiculous and lose with traditional ink painting, to consciously explore the expression of Chinese ink painting in his own way, continuously cast off circumstances and illusion, while gives special attention to the figures. It seems a lost of true-life, but in fact reach the true-life in a deeper sense, which almost determines the surviving of a painting class in contemporary life. With the condition permitted, if he could further expand the space of this true-life in later explores, to return his painting to the luxuriant life itself, it will be the renovation time for Chinese (ink) painting.
Gao Ling, From Painting Time to Painting Space—on Lei Ziren’s painting Lei Ziren is obviously away from Modernism to be closer to Postmodernism. It does not suggest he uses any postmodern format, instead, he express some experience of non-modernism or non formalism. It seems a big topic, but a simple issue in fact. On base of his own experience, he returns to himself step by step. The self he is returning is a self in broad sense, the original life. The process is no simple at all. Unlike He does not appropriate aboriginal form as Joan Miro and Henry Moore, nor copy ancient cultural icons into ink painting. From his painting, one can hardly identify any traces of symbol or pretending. All is natural.
In fact, sex is not the real subject in his works. By sex he returns to the original life, the natural life. At the time we experience the expressive force from his manner, he also restores his own life. The manner origins from his life experience—not the direct experience of reality, but of the nature of life, or in another word, the “original state of life”. In process of returning to original life, his art engenders, motivates our life impulsion, and moves us. He owns what we lack.
Yi Ying, Original State—on Lei Ziren’s Paintings Lei Ziren’s recent works include some fable-like paintings, e.g.
We can discuss his works from other perspectives, of course. For example, he never sticks to particular pattern, but shows his talents in multiple fields, e.g. oil painting, ceramics, figures, landscape, etc. and refers various styles from Classical works to Modern ones. It indicates his juvenility more or less—although it is not a bad thing, but shows a vitality from his heart. The only uncertainty I feel in his process to be more free and skilled, is whether he maintain this awkward sense rather then becoming slippery. As Zheng Panqiao’s claimed, “one can only be skilled when he paints awkwardly”, but even Zheng himself failed to realise it. Wish Lei Ziren could do better than him.
Jia Fangzhou, Art and People—Lei Ziren’s Painting in my view
Ziren seldom cares to be said away from the art circle. He appreciates the elegance in earthliness, while those immerse in the art circle can hardly comprehend it depending their imagination. In recent years, the frequent fresh looking appeared in Ziren’s works surely relates to his tendency to accept and adapt to the world. His works always surprise me. I cannot help associate it with his quiet, willful and carefree lifestyle. Meng Haoran (poet in Tang Dynasty) said “The inspiration of my poem rest on the donkeyback in wind and snow.” I believe, the emotions of Ziren’s painting mostly origin from somewhere deep in the conventions. Ziren seems quite talented and delighted in exploring these hidden inspirations.
Ancient intellectuals intonated folk style proses after bacchanal and elegant music. The prose they chanted are undisputable nice verses. People in nowadays may give someone a cold shoulder, or sneer at another behind his back. Their words, sights and poses might be trivial, but can achieve nice works as well. It is nice to find Ziren shares the common idea. He appreciates the conventions with a carefree aesthetic attitude, and creates art with a carefree conventional sight. As his friend, what else can I do other than happy for him?
Wang Jiulou, The Tao of heaven plays no favoritism but only sides with the good man–Impression of Lei Ziren
Being different from New Generation artists, Lei Ziren presents more “gentleness” and “innocence” in his works. His works show us no dramatic conflicts and excitement usually seen in the works of important subjects, nor cynicism and reckless deformation. The imageries of boys and girls express a tender attachment and pure innocence of youth. His dealing of brush and ink indicates a contextual succeeding of BA Da SHAN REN’s composition and Fu Baoshi’s ink taste in
The different aesthetics in his recent works suggest he is entering into an active experiment stage, with so many new ideas to be tested urgently. The most importantly, his vision appears increasingly broadened, no longer limit the problem solving of the brush and ink style within the field of Chinese paintings, but focuses the comparative research of Western and Chinese aesthetics, and tries to fuse them on base of Chinese painting traditions.
Yin Shuangxi, “Heart-Originated Circumstances”--on Lei Ziren’s Recent Chinese Paintings Lei Ziren is a quiet poet of illusion. Indoor scene, figure drawing, or city landscape—whatever his works subject on, they always integrate the poetry from his heart. He ceaselessly slides transforms from one subject to another, but never “search” subject by means—he encounters them in life, transfer subject into low-voice murmuring, and present reality as traces of memory and life. With the transition on subject, his visual form and language turns richer and more complicated, while always express the subject in the simplest way. If, one day in future, he walks out of illusion, sinks into common conventions with his poetry disappeared and his technique refined, his works would be no more interesting.
Yi Ying, Illusion and Its Context—Impression of Lei Ziren’s painting
Lei Ziren’s ink paintings express rich conception through simple subject and ink-dealing without the least exaggeration and showing off. His brief but subtle depiction of figures response to the intentionally awkward brushstroke, express a romantic emotions but without any vulgar dexterous and sweetness.
His figure paintings integrate not only the tradition of Chinese ink painting masters e.g. relique from Dai Jin and Chen Hongshou, but also that of Western Modernism founders, e.g. Cezanne and Matisse. Obviously his inspirations also come from his practices in analogical fields, e.g. illustration, design, paper-cut, ceramics, etc. The ink painting experiments of combining modern form and folk art custom has been a popular manner in contemporary renovation of ink painting language. As a member of the younger generation from Central Academy of Fine Arts, Lei Ziren inherits and develops the renovation tradition of academy figure painting system. The uniqueness of Lei Ziren rests with his dispatched attitude on combining other art forms. He represents a new generation who feel more relaxed and casual to combine and choose between Chinese and Western, tradition and modern, folk and classics. From the very beginning, they are open to various visual experiments, their ink painting experiments not necessarily emphasize any particular pattern, nor neglect any part of man’s visual culture.
Shao Yiyang, On Lei Ziren’s recent works
His art practices include ink painting, oil painting, and ceramics, all with a prolific achievement, but mostly focus in field of ink painting, esp. figure painting. He “plays art”, but does not play the skills of brush & ink, nor playing the role of superficial “recluse”.
He shows special sensitive and mastering of pattern (shaping、modelling, shading and dying, composition, etc.). By all-embracing while leaving no trace, he presents a unique eclectic style (which is also to be broken). The most importantly, he keeps a solid persistence in the practices of ink painting innovation. I believe, his great potentials in practice will assure him continuously working our perfect art in future.
Chen Xiaoxin, Recommendation of Lei Ziren, Art Documenta
As postgraduate of Prof. Li, Lei Ziren has created quite some experimental works in last two years including his dissertations, which attract a wide attention to him.
Tian Liming From Lei Ziren’s works, we can obviously identify the influence from great Western painters, e.g. Matisse, Marc Chagall, and Picasso. He has quite good sense of ink painting. Although not majoring in landscape painting, he also painted several ink landscapes, which cannot be the best works in the field, but give a definite sense to landscape, and more importantly present an accurate sense of brush and ink as well as modern composition. For art, sense is something the most difficult and significant, something inexpressible but decisive.
Qiu Zhenzhong, Multiple Open-up, Spur with Long Accumulation-- Synopsis of the third Studio teaching and learning reference, Art Research, No.3, 2003,
Lei Ziren’s painting include many elements, but all fuse into a characteristic whole. His dealing on subject, expression and painting has no alienation to our daily experience. We can easily walk into his scene, to watch and appreciate together with him…This is an ideal result, but also with potential crisis, that is, his language is not “estranged” enough. In another word, he uses just some ready expressions, rather than shaping them into new “language”. For example, we can find he masters some “traditional” skills, and also some foreign means—it is almost the common methodology for Chinese painters in last hundred years to seek “renovation”, including masters like Lin Fengmian and his generation and later generations, no further than that. Lei Ziren’s paintings hide some potential talent—casual, willful, occidental, flexible, etc. With a good use, it is possible for him to work out surprising and admirable result, but if treated carelessly, it is also possible to become light-minded and weak.
Li Xiaoshan, Do It better The figures in Lei Ziren’s paintings look like segments disengaged from particular time, space and context. The concept of time and circumstance seem no longer important here. As traditional Chinese painters, he tries to present a quiet and placid state in the works. But in fact, most of his figures sourced from particular scenes in reality. He just seek some comparatively peaceful ones and re-fabricate them together into ideal forms. Then the figures in his paintings mostly exist in romantic context. Obviously the painter makes a subtle but essential change between the original resources and final presentation.
In his paintings, we can clearly sense the real conflict originates not between local vocabularies from two different places, but between the life faith catalyzed by art language, and the reality experience dominated by social reality. As a painter talented of ink language, Lei Ziren tries to believe he can integrate the crushed personal experiences by his own method, just as did by the admirable masters. But the development of real life leaves him no space to escape the emotional domination. As indicated in both his language and subject, he always fight off the emotional expression, but can never completely control the emotion release. Based on this sense, I prefer to consider Lei Ziren a painter expressed between dreaming and awaken, rather than someone who paints illusion. Comparing to some painters with similar vocabularies, he neither indulge into unreal dreams, nor swallowed by cheap emotional expression. The significance of his works rests on the conflict between his disposition and emotion. During the unconscious release of this conflict, we capture some charming traces of the humanism value’s inner change in a transitional period of Chinese culture.
Pi Li, Behind the Quietness Lei Ziren paints quite similar to some “Impressionism” masters including Marc Chagall, Odilon Redon, William Blake, etc. He “documents” some dreamlike illusions. But the passed experience tells me, he is documenting our youth, our university life. Lei Ziren often associate them with childhood memories. I cannot imagine what nice feelings the bygones e.g. “Pick Lotus” and “Fly a Kite” arise in his heart, and push him paint them tirelessly them in different circumstances. He is in fact painting time.
Wu Jin, Forward for “Lei Ziren Exhibition” Lei Ziren is doubtlessly an outstanding one in the younger generation of artists.
His prolific works gives out a particular ability to experience and comprehend life (which is the most important element for “talent”), as well as a fully using and arising of his personal experience, e.g. “no-descending fairy tale”, “village complex”, “urban experience”, “Oedipus complex”, “Eroticism”, “Meditate on the past”, etc. He willfully deals his memory, even produces some fine “graft” by his imagination, thus the final imageries present a mixture of intimate, strange, funny, ridiculous, mystery, and vivid. His paintings always hide uncertain elements, plus the ever-changing subject and vision, and continuously springing ideas and design, viewers feel hardly follow up his imageries and ideas. This proves him a master of creating context.
Context is created to be entered. Lei Ziren understands “entering context” to be “experiencing life”. So both his sensible and beautiful imageries, esp. the sweet and charming girls, and his sad and misted pictures reveal his true emotions closely related to our heart. “Mentally re-visiting the homeland, always nourish a thousand-year misery” (Time goes on like river-flowing), “the true manhood, show completely humanism solicitude” (this-life consideration). His works often blend Poetry and Zenism, and childishness and literature accomplishment. His expression is frank, passionate, while communicates a graceful beauty. Anyhow, his deeply concerning to life integrates well with his neo-literator temperament—actively participating into social life, to jointly enlighten his works.
Chen Xiaoxin, Create Context and Enter Context
Lei Ziren presents his talent on contemporary Chinese paintings at a right time—urban people have already adapted and accepted the virtual and abnormal imageries, and Chinese contemporary paintings are generally moving towards a more peaceful and professional direction.
Lei Ziren’s ink paintings spiritually originate from three sources: the ancient art philosophy which focuses the releasing inner feeling rather than seeking physical similarity; the aftereffect of the Formalism illusion by Western modern painters e.g. Marc Chagall and Picasso; and the tradition of Chinese Romanticism literature.
The man & woman theme in his paintings is not necessarily related to emotion and desire, even exceed aesthetics realm. They present no sensory pleasure and wanting of sex, but on the contrary, these sexual signs always indicate imperceptible life and exhausted soul. The more intimate, the more alienated. On this point, Lei Ziren touches the spiritual reality of modern people.
Lei Ziren takes his BA, MA and PhD in Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). Although positioned in the top academy in China, he never shows up as a member from orthodox system. Similar to Tian Liming, Liu Qinghe and Wu Yi, he takes a non-CAFA pose to characterize his experimental practices. His art push us reexamine academy art and modern art education.
“Internationalization or nationalization? Or the more national, the more international? I prefer the idea of absorbing natural essence to benefit body and mind.” I made this argument in
Zhong Ruqian, Free Discussion on Lei Ziren Lei Ziren’s works stress emotional express and sentimental seize. Either imageries of sky-flying or couples among blossoms and trees communicate his sign on the time lapse as well as intense nostalgia. Great works always make one feel at lost while still want more because of artist’s deep sympathy to universe and mankind. The emotional element Lei Ziren explores embodies as nostalgia in his works. Love is another major issue for him. People in love always enmesh in a sleeping-like inebriety—it is his basic expression in his works, by that he accomplishes his understanding to love. Tender attachment and fleeting time turn to be his real theme.
Guo Xiaochuan, Exhibition Volume, Today’s Chinese Art Lei Ziren’s comprehension of ink painting reflects on his easiness after deviating and decomposing the adeptness of brush & ink skills. He integrates the fine-brush and freehand-brush skills in traditional Chinese painting: he displaces the smart brushwork without letup into broken strokes at random, uses free demitint for portraitures, and arranges free-brush background. His perspective fits neither Western system of focus perspective, nor the traditional Chinese system of scattered perspective with the “San Yuan” principle. His imageries are scattered to vary with context and emotion atmosphere, or in another word, the flexible configuration of characters and perspectives form a changing context and sentimental atmosphere. As a result, it gives out some loose breath which doubtlessly release the artist from sense of lost. He tries to apart from the uproaring reality to seek a peaceful living space. The sweet sections in his aesthetic memory are delicately fabricated together. The concrete time-space transits into an idealized condition between real and hallucinatory, as if real figures living in fantasyland. The sense of absurd communicates artist’s inner nihility and lost, reveals his attention to surviving condition as well as his insight to personal experience, and indicates the profound change in contemporary sentimental life and experience manner.
Han Chao, Volume 1, Today’s Chinese Art