Liu Haisu was a modern Chinese painter and art educator renowned for his outstanding artistic achievements and profound influence on Chinese art education. His life was full of innovation and challenges, and his artistic career and life experiences are closely intertwined with his BaZi chart, revealing a unique destiny.
BaZi Chart
Liu Haisu's BaZi chart presents a complex and distinctive structure. The Year Pillar's Indirect Resource (Pian Yin), Bing Shen, with the mutually generating Eating God (Shi Shen) and Indirect Wealth (Pian Cai), alongside the Month Pillar's Hurting Officer (Shang Guan), Xin Mao, and the parallel Direct Officer (Zheng Guan), reveal his intense desire for artistic expression and his rebellious spirit against tradition. The Day Pillar's Friend (Bi Jian), Wu Chen, where the Direct Officer and Direct Wealth (Zheng Cai) complement each other, indicates that while pursuing art, he also possessed solid academic and administrative abilities.
Core Analysis
In Liu Haisu's destiny chart, the Hurting Officer is revealed, the Direct Officer runs parallel, the Friend stands independently, and the Indirect Resource provides academic support. This structure gave him exceptional talent in artistic expression and the courage to break through tradition, while also endowing him with unique insights and abilities in education and management. His artistic career and life experiences are a direct reflection of this BaZi structure.
Trait Analysis
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Innovative Expressiveness: The revealed Hurting Officer in the chart endowed Liu Haisu with acute artistic perception and the courage to break through tradition, which was fully manifested in his painting style that blended Chinese and Western elements.
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Educational and Organizational Ability: The coexistence of the Friend and the Indirect Resource demonstrated Liu Haisu's capacity to establish schools independently and his drive to advance scholarship. He was able to organize institutions and write theoretical works, exerting a profound influence on Chinese art education.
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Tendency Toward Conflict and Controversy: The pattern of the Hurting Officer countering the Direct Officer made Liu Haisu prone to challenging authority and the existing order. This also explains his insistence on nude figure drawing and his multiple conflicts with peers and those in power.
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Resilience and Recovery: Despite facing political setbacks and health issues, Liu Haisu achieved a revival of his artistic status and international honors in his later years under a Luck Pillar (Da Yun) of Resource elements and external recognition, demonstrating his formidable resilience and ability to recover.
Life Timeline
In 1907, Liu Haisu was 11 years old. The traditional Chinese painting "Crab" he created participated in the First National Children's Painting Exhibition, and the artwork was printed on the cover of the exhibition catalog, marking the first national recognition of his artistic talent. This year, the Annual Pillar (Liu Nian) was Ding Wei. The heavenly stem of the Annual Pillar, Ding Fire, is the Direct Resource, one of the Day Master's (Ri Zhu) most favored elements, representing talent, learning, and benefactors. Ding Fire echoed the Indirect Resource of Bing Fire in the Year Pillar's heavenly stem, and further generated the Day Master of Wu Earth, forming a favorable pattern of Fire generating Earth. This greatly enhanced his inner energy and self-confidence.
In 1909, Liu Haisu was 13 years old. He left his hometown and went to Shanghai to enter the background painting studio founded by Zhou Xiang, beginning his systematic study of Western painting techniques. This was the enlightenment and starting point of his artistic career. This year, during the Ren Chen Luck Pillar, the earthly branch of the Luck Pillar, Chen, formed a three-harmony frame of Water with the Year Branch Shen and the Hour Branch (Shi Zhu) Zi. Water represents the Wealth star, triggering signs of long journeys and changes. The Annual Pillar was Ji You, and the heavenly stem Ji Earth is Rob Wealth (Jie Cai), a revealing of the Day Master Wu Earth's favorable element, representing new opportunities and assistance from peers.
In 1910, Liu Haisu was 14 years old. He founded a painting studio in his home in Changzhou, marking the beginning of his early career in art education. This year, under the Ren Chen Luck Pillar, he encountered the Geng Xu Annual Pillar. The earthly branch of the Annual Pillar, Xu, formed a clash with the earthly branch of the Luck Pillar, Chen, and the Day Branch Chen. This clash of Chen and Xu is known as "clashing open the storage gates," a strong signal for the initiation of a career. The heavenly stem of the Annual Pillar revealed the Eating God of Geng Metal, representing skill, talent, and expression. The Eating God generating Wealth was conducive to transforming what he had learned into practical results.
In 1912, Liu Haisu was 17 years old. Together with Wu Shiguang, Zhang Yuguang, and others, he founded the Shanghai Painting Art Academy in Shanghai, becoming a pioneer of modern Chinese art education. This year, during the Gui Si Luck Pillar, the heavenly stem of the Luck Pillar, Gui Water, combined with the Day Master Wu Earth and transformed into Fire. Fire is the favorable element of the destiny chart, representing the climate-regulating favorable element finding its footing. This signifies a solid foundation in life, spiritual enrichment, and the ability to gain the appreciation of benefactors.
In 1917, Liu Haisu was 21 years old. He held China's first nude figure painting exhibition at the Shanghai Art Academy, causing a tremendous uproar and being denounced by public opinion as an "art traitor." Instead of shrinking from this, he adopted it as his own moniker, demonstrating his determination to fight to the end for artistic innovation. This year, the Annual Pillar was Ding Si. The heavenly stem revealed the Direct Resource of Ding Fire, and the earthly branch Si Fire provided a root for the Indirect Resource, making the strength of the Resource stars exceptionally powerful. Resource stars represent thought, reputation, and an innovative spirit. Both the Direct Resource of Ding Fire and the earthly branch Si Fire of the Annual Pillar are favorable elements for the Day Master Wu Earth, foretelling his firm inner conviction, his daring to challenge tradition, and his willingness to speak out for his artistic ideals.
In 1918, Liu Haisu was 22 years old. He was hired as an instructor at the Peking University Painting Method Research Society, lecturing on "Art Trends," and successfully held a solo painting exhibition. He simultaneously emerged in both academic institutions and the art world, and his influence expanded rapidly. This year, during the Gui Si Luck Pillar (1912-1921), the heavenly stem of the Luck Pillar, Gui Water, combined with the Day Master Wu Earth and transformed into Fire. Fire is the Resource star, the favorable element of the destiny chart, governing fame, knowledge, and patronage.
In 1919, Liu Haisu was 23 years old. He enrolled the first female students at the Shanghai Painting Art Academy, realizing co-education; subsequently, he traveled to Japan to inspect art education and held a solo exhibition. Upon returning to China, he founded the art group "Tianma Hui." This year, during the Gui Si Luck Pillar, the heavenly stem of the Luck Pillar, Gui Water, acted as the climate-regulating favorable element. It combined with the Day Master Wu Earth and transformed into Fire. Fire is the Resource star, a symbol of career and prestige, representing the ignition of opportunities in thought, education, and cultural dissemination.
In 1920, Liu Haisu was 24 years old. In October, he traveled to Japan to attend the opening ceremony of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts. Upon returning home, he compiled and translated "Biography of Millet" and "Biography of Cézanne," dedicating himself to introducing Western artistic thought into the country and becoming a pioneer in art dissemination. This year, during the Gui Si Luck Pillar (1912-1921), the heavenly stem of the Luck Pillar, Gui Water, is Direct Wealth. It combined with the Day Master Wu Earth in a Wu-Gui combination transforming into Fire, transforming into the favorable element of Fire (Resource star). This represents easily gaining the appreciation of benefactors in his career and transforming his talent (Eating God and Hurting Officer) into practical results (Wealth).
In 1929, Liu Haisu was 32 years old. In February, he set off for France, Germany, Italy, and other countries to inspect art education, and served as a researcher at the Académie Granthomme in France, embarking on an important journey of international artistic exchange. This year, the Annual Pillar was Wu Chen, forming a Fu Yin (recurrence) with the Day Pillar Wu Chen. This governs the reappearance of major life themes, often accompanied by changes in environment and inner introspection.
In 1931, Liu Haisu was 35 years old. He went to the University of Frankfurt in Germany to lecture on the "Six Principles of Chinese Painting," systematically introducing traditional Chinese painting theory to European academia for the first time, spreading Eastern artistic thought in a foreign land. This year, during the Jia Wu Luck Pillar, the earthly branch of the Luck Pillar, Wu Fire, is the Direct Root favored by the chart owner, representing knowledge, reputation, and benefactors.
In 1933, Liu Haisu was 37 years old. He presided over the "Exhibition of Modern Chinese Painting" in Berlin, Germany, and gave touring lectures and exhibitions at places such as the Prussian Academy of Arts. He propelled modern Chinese art onto the international stage, and his personal prestige and career influence reached new heights. This year, during the Yi Wei Direct Officer Luck Pillar, the career palace was activated.
Liu Haisu's life was filled with exploration of art and education. His destiny is closely linked to his BaZi chart, showcasing his unique artistic talent and life wisdom.