Italian artist: SZ is source of my inspiration

Editor’s Note

编者按

Shenzhen Daily has joined hands with the Information Office of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government to launch a series of reports titled “Decade of Transformation,” to tell the story of Shenzhen in the eyes of expats. Rafael Saavedra, a popular YouTuber who has been living and working in China for seven years, will host the series, showing you Shenzhen, a dynamic and energetic city from the perspective of 60 expats. This is the third story of the series. 

由深圳市人民政府新闻办公室与英文《深圳日报》（Shenzhen Daily）共同策划推出的系列全媒体国际传播作品《我们这10年：湾区老外说变化（Decade of Transformation）》已在各大主流媒体和互联网平台正式上线，该系列将集中展示过去十年以来深圳在各个领域所取得的伟大成就。此次系列作品中，在中国工作和生活了七年的知名网络博主Rafael Saavedra将向大家介绍60位外籍人士，通过他们的脚步和镜头记录和观察一座行进中的中国年轻都市。敬请垂注！

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人物简介

Lele Fioroni是一位来自米兰的画家。他九年前来到深圳从事网站设计工作，在空闲时间会发展自己的绘画爱好。Lele色彩丰富又充满创意的作品，尤其是以深圳建筑和中国文字为灵感的抽象画，很快获得了美术馆和观众的青睐。目前他正在策划一个艺术项目，用独特的绘画艺术呈现深圳的繁荣和绚烂。

Lele Fioroni is a painter from Milan. He settled down in Shenzhen almost nine years ago, working as a web designer and drawing in his spare time. His colorful, diverse, and creative works, particularly those drawings inspired by Shenzhen’s buildings and Chinese characters, attracted the attention of galleries and buyers. Now, he is planning to create an abstract painting of the Futian CBD.

意大利艺术家：深圳是我的灵感之源

Italian artist: SZ is source of my inspiration

For Italian artist Lele Fioroni, Shenzhen is not only the city where he realized his dream of becoming a painter, but is also the source of inspiration for his artworks.

对于意大利艺术家Lele Fioroni来说，深圳不仅是他实现画家梦想的地方，也是他创作的灵感源泉。

Almost nine years ago, Lele moved from Milan to Shenzhen, working as a web designer, and drawing in his spare time. He was lost for words in describing his first impression of the city.

大约9年前，勒乐从米兰搬到深圳成了一名网页设计师。在空闲时间他会发展自己的绘画爱好。当他形容对深圳的初印象时，他的兴奋之情难以言表。

Lele Fioroni at an interview with Shenzhen Daily at Leevan Art Gallery in Shekou, Nanshan District.

勒乐在位于蛇口的立梵艺术馆接受英文《深圳日报》采访。

To Lele’s surprise, Shenzhen has never slowed its pace of growing and expanding. He witnessed countless magnificent skyscrapers springing up from the ground and the opening of seven new metro lines underground. “Over the past decade, it’s fascinating to see everything evolving week after week. Every week it’s changing and is different,” he said.

令勒乐更加吃惊的是深圳的发展和扩张的步伐从未放慢。他见证了无数的摩天大楼拔地而起，和7条新地铁线的陆续开通。“在过去的十年里，看着身边的事物一周周地变化真是太令人着迷了。我每周都会有新发现。”他说道。

Realizing painter dream in SZ

在深圳实现画家梦

In Lele’s eyes, Shenzhen is a land of great promise to the art world’s newcomers such as himself and it was here in 2018 that he started to pursue his career as a painter.

在勒乐眼里，深圳对于艺术界的新人来说是一片充满希冀的热土。2018年他也是在深圳开启了自己的画家生涯。

Lele (L) and Li Yixuan, general manager of Leevan Art Gallery, at an interview with Shenzhen Daily. 

勒乐及立梵艺术总经理李艺轩接受英文《深圳日报》采访。

“It’s easy to find the right resources and establish good connections here. Shenzhen has many factories, shops, galleries, art fairs, and anything you might need. It makes for an easier life for designers and artists,” he said.

“在深圳找到合适的资源和人脉很容易。深圳有很多的工厂、商场、美术馆、艺术展和任何你需要的东西。艺术家和设计师在这里工作、生活很方便。“他告诉记者。

At the moment, Shenzhen boasts 32 art museums, 15 culture museums, and 64 culture stations, among other public cultural facilities.

目前，深圳拥有32个艺术博物馆，15个文化博物馆，64个文化站和其他各种公共文化设施。

One of Lele's works in his studio in Longgang District. Wang Haolan

勒乐在其位于龙岗的工作室创作的作品之一。王皓岚摄

Lele sold his first painting in a creative market of OCT Creative Culture Park in Nanshan and has gotten in touch with galleries and buyers since then. His works reached an even wider audience after they were displayed at several art exhibitions.

勒乐的第一幅画是在南山区华侨城创意文化园的市集上卖出的。从那时起，便陆陆续续有画廊和买家和他联系。他的作品也在不同的艺术展览中展出，积累了不少的粉丝。

Depicting ever-growing infrastructure via paints

用画笔描绘不断增长的基建

In the same year, a light show that was staged to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen’s reform and opening up fueled Lele’s passion for depicting the modernity and dynamic of Shenzhen via his paints and brushes.

同一年，深圳举行了庆祝改革开放40周年的灯光秀表演。这次看秀的经历激发了勒乐用画笔描绘深圳的现代化和活力的热情。

Lele introduces to Shenzhen Daily journalists the inspiration of his works in the square in front of Shenzhen Civic Center in Futian District. 勒乐在深圳市民中心广场向记者介绍作品的灵感来源。

“I watched the 15-minute show from the top of Lianhua Hill. The show synchronized together the lights on all the buildings as if all of them formed a giant screen. I had never seen such a scene in a city before. I cannot forget what I saw that day,” he recalled.

“我站在莲花山山顶观看了这场15分钟的灯光表演。所有大楼的灯光表演都是同频的，所有楼宇变成了一块大屏幕。我从未看过这样的表演，我也永远忘不了那天的场景。” 勒乐回忆道。

Lele introduces one of his works featuring Ping An Finance Center to a visitor at Leevan Art Gallery. Lin Songtao

勒乐向观众介绍一幅以平安金融中心为主题的画作。林松涛摄

He consequently created a series of works inspired by Shenzhen’s superstructures. The Ping An Finance Center and China Resources Tower are the first two high-rises he put on canvas.

因此，他创作了一系列以深圳高楼大厦为灵感的作品。平安金融中心和华润大厦是他最先在画布上呈现的两座建筑。

He drew these breathtaking buildings as seen in particular moments: a colorful Ping An building that is lit by LED lighting at night and a shiny China Resources Tower standing by the sea under the sun.

他画下了这两栋壮观的楼宇在特定时刻下的模样：夜晚被绚烂的LED灯光点亮的平安大厦和阳光下矗立在海边闪闪发光的华润大厦。

Lele in the square in front of Shenzhen Civic Center.

勒乐在深圳市民中心广场。

“When I arrived in Shenzhen, the two structures were not yet completed. I saw them growing. I saw them finished. These two paintings are my tribute to the city of Shenzhen,” he said. Now these two works are magnets of an ongoing art exhibition held in Shekou.

“当我刚来深圳的时候，这两栋建筑还‘无迹可寻’。我看着它们一层层地建起来，又看着它们完工。我想通过这两幅作品向深圳这座城市致敬。”他说道。现在这两幅画在蛇口的艺术展览中展出，吸引了不少观众驻足。

Inspired by SZ’s soft power 

从深圳的软实力中获得灵感

In addition to its hardcore infrastructure, the soft power of Shenzhen has also nurtured Lele’s most successful serial works themed on Chinese characters.

除了硬核的基础设施，深圳的软实力也滋养了勒乐最成功的汉字系列作品。

Lele's work "Hai Na Bai Chuan" in his studio. Wang Haolan 

勒乐画作《海纳百川》。王皓岚摄

In an artwork named “Hai Na Bai Chuan,” which means that all rivers are contained in the sea, Lele drew his creative interpretations of this four-word Chinese idiom in patterns and textures of water, river, and sand.

在一幅名为《海纳百川》的画作中，他用水、河流和沙子的图案和纹理对这四个字成语进行了创造性的诠释。

“Hai Na Bai Chuan represents the city of Shenzhen. Shenzhen is like a cocktail with diverse cultures. People from all over China and abroad come here to develop their careers and win their futures,” he said.

勒乐向记者解释道：“海纳百川就代表了深圳这座城市。深圳就像一杯盛满了多元文化的鸡尾酒。大家从国内外纷至沓来，来到深圳发展事业，赢得未来。”

Lele introduces "Hai Na Bai Chuan" to a visitor at Leevan Art Gallery.

勒乐向观众介绍“海纳百川”。

The design and moral of this painting are also inspired by the history of the city. “Shenzhen 50 years ago was just a fishing village. Now it’s an incredible city,” he added.

这幅画的设计和寓意也受到了深圳历史的启发。“50年前，深圳只是一个渔村。现在它已然成为了一座令人惊叹的城市，”他补充道。

In the future, Lele plans to create a six-meter-long and two-meter-high abstract painting of the architecture complex of Futian CBD. Every time he visited the downtown, he would choose to walk to draw inspiration: “If it’s a sunny day, you can experience the shining light bouncing through all the metal and glass of the buildings. At night, you can see every building becomes a screen projecting a fantasy of colors, of flowers, of Chinese culture and letters.”

接下来，勒乐计划创作一幅长6米，高2米的抽象画来描绘福田CBD的建筑群。每每来到市中心，他都会选择步行来为创作汲取灵感:“如果是一个阳光灿烂的日子，你可以看到光线在大楼的金属和玻璃间闪烁跳跃。到了晚上，大厦变成了一面面屏幕，投投射着五光十色的灯光、花朵、中国文化和文字的图案。”

Lele introduces to a visitor one of his works at Leevan Art Gallery. Lin Songtao

勒乐向观众介绍他的作品。林松涛摄

“Shenzhen is the city of design, the palace of design. Stopping to look at every single building, each can be regarded as a work of art,” he told. “I enjoy appreciating the growth of the city and enjoy growing with it.”

“深圳是设计之城，更是一座设计的殿堂。在每一幢大厦前驻足，每一座建筑都是一件艺术品。” 勒乐说道。“我喜欢欣赏这座城市的成长，也很高兴自己同她一起成长。”