李强，艺名强人，1965年生，北京市人，1985年毕业于北京市工艺美术学校，1996年于中央美院结业，拜著名雕塑家﹑美院雕塑系教授张润垲﹑张得蒂为师。曾荣获中国民间文艺家协会和联合国教科文组织授予的“中国民间工艺美术家”称号。

　　现为中国民间文艺家协会会员﹑市民间文艺家协会会员﹑中国书画家联谊会会员﹑龙山艺术院艺术委员﹑工艺美术研究室副主任。2004年李强到马来西亚的首都吉隆坡发展并开设自己的艺术工作室，并被草堂门金石书画会特聘为海外理事。2007年三月，为了实现梦想，李强离开马来西亚到英国伦敦发展直到现在。

　　李强艺术为许多报纸广泛报道，如中国的“中国青年报” ﹑“北京青年报” ﹑“中国文化报” 等，还有马来西亚的“星洲日报” ﹑“南洋商报” ﹑“中国报” ﹑“东方日报” ﹑“光华日报” ﹑“The Star” ﹑“The Sun”英文报和“Kosmo”马来文报。同时并且接受马来西亚电台第五台的“开唛啦”节目的采访和电视台八度空间“艺术人生”节目的采访。

　　李强艺术更在不同艺术活动中崭露风采，不仅国人喜爱，也为许多国际友人所推崇。曾有一位接受过塑像的英国老人专门从英国写来感谢函，信中说：“现在我有你为我制作的泥人头像在我身边，我将永远记住那个场面”。更有一位香港友人，仅提供了两张逝妻的照片，经“泥塑强”精心制作完成后，惟妙惟肖，呼之欲出，其家人竟触目而泣，至为感人。

　　李强艺术以它独具风采的艺术魅力，在当今艺坛中发出璀璨之光，拓展出一片新天地。

　　石画是新兴的艺术画种，以石材为原料，利用石材本省所具有的形状、色泽，凭借作者的想象力进行艺术创作。它熔造型、绘画为一炉、既有平面绘画的装饰美、又有立体的雕塑感：既有色彩的渲染、又有线条的勾勒。其内容丰富、题材广泛、手法多变。在当今画坛中独具一格。

　　李强（强人石画）艺术出现于二十世纪八十年代，多家报纸介绍，1995年10月中央电视台“东方时空”节目进行了专题报道。1996年8月参加第四届《中国艺术博览会》，同年11月《北京青年报》发表题为“和石头对话”的文章及工作照和一些石画照片。传略辑入《中国书画篆刻家年鉴》、《中国民间工艺美术家名典》等书。其影响在海内外日益扩大，不少作品被海内外人士收藏。

　　目前，李强又开始了油画创作，以中国京剧和自然山体为创作题材，并希望在艺术的领域上有更大的突破。部分作品已被有关人士收藏。

BRIEF ACCOUNT OF LI QIANG

Li Qiang, by name Qiangren, was born in Beijing in 1965. He graduated from Beijing School of Art in 1985 and completed a course at China Central Academy of Art in 1996. He was an outstanding student of China’s famous sculptors, Professor Zhang Run Kai and Mr. Zhang De Ti. The title “Chinese Folk Artist” was conferred on him by the Chinese Association of Folk Artist and UNESCO.

Currently, he is a member of the Chinese Folk Literature Association, Metropolitan Folk Literature Association, Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting Association. He is also a committee member of Long Shan Art Institute and the Deputy Head of Handicraft Art Research Centre. In 2004, Li Qiang went to Malaysia and formed his art studio there .He is also an overseas director of Cao Tang Men Eastern Arts Society in Kuala Lumpur. In 2007,  Li Qiang  left  for  London and has been achieving his ambition since then.

Over the years, the works of Li Qiang are widely reported and acclaimed in numerous newspapers, including “China Youth Daily”, “Beijing Youth Daily” and “China Cultural Daily”. In Malaysia, he was reported by “Sin Chew Daily”, “Nan Yang”, “China Press”, “Kwang Hua Daily”, “Oriental Daily News”, “The Star”, “The Sun Weekend” and “Kosmos”. In the meantime, he was interviewed by “Radio 5” , “TV2” and “TV8”.

Li Qiang’s masterpieces have also been on show in various art expositions and displays in China. His works are well known not only in his homeland but also abroad. An elderly British man who has been Li’s subject of sculpture wrote from England recently to express his appreciation of Li Qiang’s works. Thanking Li for his excellent piece, he said in his letter, “now that I am having the sculptured bust of myself in custody, it serves to remind me from time to time the occasion on which we got to know each other”. Not long ago, a customer from Hong Kong provided two copies of photographs of his deceased wife for Li’s sculpture. On completion, the bust bore such a degree of resemblance to the deceased woman that all those who know the family could not help but marvel at Li’s magic touch. At the sight of the bust, some family members even burst into passionate tears.

Today, Li Qiang’s artistic works have successfully carved a niche in the contemporary art circle. But as far as Li Qiang is concerned, it is only a matter of course.

Stone Painting is a new form of art expression. With stone as the medium, the artist can create different art themes according to his own imagination on the stone’s shape and colour. It’s a combination of plaster skills, graceful line painting and a great sense of 3-dimensional ‘sculpting’. A wide range of subject matter and means can be expressed in stone painting, making it unique in the modern art circle.

Li Qiang’s stone painting emerged in the 80’s and since then, has been widely reported by news media. In October 1995, CCTV (Chinese Cable TV) had a special report on his stone painting. In August 1996, he participated in the Fourth Chinese Art Fair Exhibition and the same year in November, the Beijing Youth Daily published an article on him entitled ‘The dialogue With Stone’. His biography was compiled into the Dictionary of the Celebrity in Chinese Art Circle, The Yearbook of Chinese Painting, calligraphy and Seal Cutting and the Dictionary of Chinese Folk Industrial Artists. His popularity has grown wider throughout the country, and many of his works have been collected by both domestic and overseas collectors.

Currently, Li Qiang has begun a new creation in oil painting. The main theme focuses on Chinese opera and the contour of mountains. His work is a major break from tradition and is a unique style. Some of his works had been collected by art dealears.