Looking at Zhao Wei’s landscape paintings in the last 30 years, a kind of poetic expression and cultural communication run through all along his works, regardless of his early brush and ink paintings on South China scenery or his later dry brush stroke works on Northern Shaanxi landscapes, which made his works possess a profound ideal of poetic habitation, and brought us a wonderful dream.

When we wander about unhurriedly in the scene of fine evening rain in South China depicted 20 years ago by Zhao Wei, quietly listen to the sound of water drop from eaves like pearls drop in a jade plate, or when we hang around the high and low uneven South China huts, immerse ourselves in the touching light rain, perhaps we have experienced the artistic conception expressed in the poems of Tang and Sung Dynasty hundreds of times. Though in his later works, Zhao Wei paid more attention to north China landscapes and Shanxi - Shaanxi villages, this poetic conception is always there in his paintings, no matter what he chose first to paint, south China night rain or Shanxi village, the point that moved us and our comprehension of his paintings are still his temperate and meaningful poetic appeal. The poetic appeal made the quality of Zhao Wei’s landscape paintings outstanding, and left viewers a lasting and pleasant impression. Those “bun-shaped hills” and red sorghum field became a cultural symbol in the artist’s mind. Those common occurred daily scene were promoted and made poetical under the artist’s brush. It is the artistic strength of the paintings made us realized the existence of beautiful and poetic flavor in our life when we look back, and this artistic strength made “poetic habitation” a reality.

Afterwards, the style of Zhao Wei’s paintings tends to return to the tradition and restraint charm and implications. He used simple line drawing in traditional ink and brush style to express mountains, rivers and villages, quietly changed style from strong and intense to dextrose and unpredictable.  His picture effects were transformed from “dense and deep, simple and real” into calm and confident ideal state. Zhao Wei's paintings during this period were unusually “pedestrian.” The simple, artless and unique artistic experiences remind us of the art creation and wisdom of the famous ancient Chinese artists Ni Yunlin and Ba Da Shan Ren. Zhao Wei’s paintings are all about present day scenery, no message of ancient “Literati and officialdom” can be found in them. Perhaps this is the strength of tradition and the tacit understanding of ancient and present-day Chinese artists transcending time and space.