Cen Long: Under The Constellations-The Oral Autobiography of Cen Long
Narrated by Cen Long | Interviewed and Written by Metra Lin
2026

About the Book

“There are many things in life we cannot decide for ourselves, but at least we can choose the direction we wish to take.”

For Cen Long, that direction has always been painting.

To many readers, Cen Long may be an unfamiliar name. Yet The Southern Cross is more than the autobiography of a painter. It is the story of a man who, amid the forces of history and the uncertainties of fate, gradually discovered who he was and remained faithful to what he believed in.

From a childhood marked by turbulent times and the loss of his father, to his early years working as a railway fireman and serving in the military, and eventually to his career as an artist and educator, Cen Long's life has been shaped by countless unexpected turns. He has endured the loss of family members and friends, as well as personal rivalries, misunderstandings, and the experience of being underestimated. Rather than making him indifferent, these experiences gradually became the foundation of his understanding of humanity, the world, and art.

In 2005, Cen Long resigned from his teaching position at the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, leaving behind the academic establishment he had long known. Someone once derisively called him a "dead tiger." Yet he remained much like the donkey he has used to describe himself: once he had chosen a direction, he would not turn back. From then on, he devoted more of his time to painting, reading, and contemplation, neither following prevailing trends nor allowing the judgments of others to alter his path.

The Southern Cross marks the first time Cen Long has reflected on his family, artistic awakening, creative journey, and life choices through an extensive oral autobiography. Rather than presenting complex aesthetic theories, the book unfolds through a series of vivid personal memories. It reveals how a person can gradually transform circumstances beyond his control into a deeper understanding of others and the world, and how, amid uncertainty, he can remain faithful to what matters most.

Even readers who have never encountered a single painting by Cen Long may find in his life a quiet yet steadfast strength. We may not be able to determine what fate brings us, but we can still choose the kind of person we wish to become and the direction in which we want to go.

For Cen Long, that direction is painting.

And that is the Southern Cross within his heart.

About the Contributors

Cen Long
Narrator

Born in Guangzhou, China, in 1957, Cen Long is a painter. He became a member of the China Artists Association in 1992 and formerly served as a professor in the Department of Oil Painting at the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts. In 2005, he resigned from his teaching position and left the academic establishment. Since then, he has lived primarily in Wuhan, continuing to devote himself to painting and reading.

Throughout his artistic career, Cen Long has maintained a profound interest in the lives of ordinary people. Mothers, children, the elderly, and laborers frequently appear in his paintings. His concern lies not in grand narratives, but in the expression on an individual's face, the figure of someone striving to live with sincerity despite hardship, and the ways in which human beings preserve dignity, kindness, and hope amid the uncertainties of fate.

For Cen Long, painting is not merely a form of artistic creation, but also a means of understanding the world. Childhood memories, family experiences, the influence of literature and music, and the people and events he has encountered throughout his life have gradually found their way into his work, shaping his particular way of seeing and understanding human existence.

The Southern Cross is his first extensive oral autobiography, in which he looks back on his upbringing, family, artistic awakening, creative development, and the choices that have defined his life. His reflections concern not only how his paintings came into being, but also how an individual, confronted with circumstances beyond his control, gradually comes to recognize what he believes in and continues to follow that conviction throughout his life.

Metra Lin

Interviewer and Writer

Metra Lin is a curator, art dealer, and founder of Hann Art Agency. Since 2009, Cen Long's art has been central to her research, curatorial practice, and international promotion of artists. Over the years, she has organized exhibitions of his work in Taiwan and various European cities, continually seeking to bring his paintings to a wider international audience.

More recently, she founded the Crux Art Foundation in New York, extending her curatorial and artistic initiatives into international projects. Her longstanding interests center on artistic practices characterized by spiritual depth and humanistic concern. With a particular focus on painting, spirituality, and the enduring significance of art, she seeks to foster artistic dialogue and exchange across different cultural contexts.

Book Details

ISBN: 9786269272518
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 153
Language: Traditional Chinese
Dimensions: 24.5 × 16.2 × 1.5 cm
List Price: NT$850

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