Liu John was born in the 1977 in a small village in Shaanxi, where John spent a sometimes gloomy, sometimes happy childhood.

John's grandfather was a learned and somewhat conservative man. Under his influence, during his childhood John read "Three Kingdoms", "Journey to the West", "Outlaws of the Marsh" and other classic works. John worshipped the heroes of these stories, and from then on I endlessly painted Guan Yu, The Monkey King, Lu Zhishen and the other heroes of my imagination. This played an important part in my personal enlightenment.

As John gradually grew up, he searched for knowledge so he could make a living. From classes at school he could only gain a superficial knowledge of Western art, repeatedly he tried and failed with these techniques, he couldn’t escape the influence of his childhood but at the same time, John felt that him earlier efforts were just childish doodles. They were not art, so they should be discarded. Through these years John struggled with contradictions – so-called meditation seeking enlightenment. John wandered around, trying to learn the essence of art; and he was miserable. Although most days he was hungry and had no place to stay, he restrained himself from material pursuits and paid close attention to people’s spirit. “Sleep on brushwood and taste gall”, “Riding alone for thousands of miles” ---- Chinese people encourage this spirit, they are solemn and stirring, honest and unsophisticated with a vitally energetic nature. Throughout the ages, the Chinese people have remained the same.

Today John have already reached ‘the year when I took my stand’. It seems as if he have again returned to his childhood, John can go back to himself and resolve his childhood dreams of becoming a general. He will realize them through sculpture and painting and use art to relieve the pains and confusions of today.