Hi all, and first fo all thanks for the invitation.

My name is Carlos de la Rúa, Spanish artist photographer who by the magic of destiny is now living in China.

I've read from Manuel that the Chinese spent 4 Biliion $ last year on Chinese paintings… Chinese people are quite "special", and so they are if we talk about art. After all these centuries of isolation and suddenly been able to buy the moon, they buy their own art, as they eat their own food… and Mc D, of course. They buy their own art not only because they are proud of it, but in many cases because it's the only art they know, and in many cases the only art they want to know. It will be interesting to put them face to face with Van Gogh or Monet and see their reaction.

My work realized in China it's been inspired by the mesmerised eyes of a "Lawai", or foreigner, like me, who misses the old traditional China and who has to face the indiscriminate modernisation, based on bigger, faster and taller, forgetting on the way human basic principles. Art is only one of the many challenges that the new society has to learn to deal with in this fast pace style of life. Very complex to describe in few words now, but socially very interesting under my point of view.

It's also very interesting to see how the "cultural revolution" is reflected on this new contemporary art, invading with this topic the majority of art pieces. 

I would like to take this opportunity to show you my point of view of what I see, with pure street photography which reflects the daily life with no other intention than the act of observation as a way to understand, and my pure artistic representation of what i see transformed in what some call surrealist, all-tough some times reality is more surrealist than reality itself.

Here is a link with some of my China works, where you can have a look if you are interested: http://www.behance.net/carlosdelarua/frame

Thanks to all, and special thanks to Manuel Marino.

Have a great day.