特定的地域风土人情，对绘画创作有着难以解释的影响。我们无法想象历史上的那些伟大画家与他寄寓心神的土地分离 – 如果北宋的范宽未曾进入终南山麓，如果埃尔格莱柯不去西班牙的托莱多；如果骞网蒂尼远离阿尔卑斯山脉；如果莫奈从未看到巴黎近郊的树林和塞纳-马恩省河的河水……显然，这一类设想十分悖谬。我们的理智告诉我们，决定性的因素在于他们的缯画天才，但艺术史必将改写！
　　20世纪后期，随着科技的进步，不同地域、不同民族的文化交流日益频繁，高山、大海、沙漠和国界不再能限制人与人之间的文化交流和艺术融会，但地域文化对于艺术家的成长仍然具有无法替代的积极作用。在当代中国画坛，特定地域的自然、人民特征，仍然以不知不觉而又深刻、长久的方式影响几乎每一个画家的艺术风格的发展。
　　青年画家燕娅娅出生于古城西安，1984年夏天，她第一次去新疆，生活在南疆辽阔土地上各民族的人和那里的天空、土地、屋宇的色彩，都给她前所未有的深刻印象。她自己回忆那种感受，说是“激活了”她的“生命底蕴”，“那蕴含着强烈生命力的自然色彩和变幻无穷的自然之光永恒地震摄了我”。所谓“永恒”，就是“一见倾心”而永世不渝──从此燕娅娅便以帕米尔高原为她的艺术基地。十几年间，她所有的代表性作品都与帕米尔高原有着直接或间接的联系，更确切的说，都来自她心中的帕米尔。
　　半个多世纪以来，西部边陲风物已经成为中国画家不可或缺的艺术资源。但涉及西域高原生活的作品，却各有风格，每个人从他自己的角度选取题材。既便是新疆以外的画家，以新疆少数民族人物形象为描绘对象的画家，也已经不在少数。而燕娅娅的与众不同，在于她“一见倾心”的耐性与专注，在于她在帕米尔高原住民身上发现的辉煌与温柔──那是她在常年冰雪的高原和一望无际的沙漠之中，在耀眼的阳光和闪烁的色彩之间，从身体、颜面、眼晴透射出的人性的光芒。燕娅娅说她在绘画上有一种对阳光和色彩的偏爱。的确，她画上的人物大都处于明亮的阳光之下，她不像有些已经画出名的画家那样，以娴熟的技巧渲染和玩味高原住民的低沉、灰暗和褴褛，而这种灰暗和低沉，似乎已经浸透了画中的一切，从环境、衣服到人的眼神。当然，人们的描写角度与西部高原艰辛的生存条件有关。但熟悉那里的人们会为燕娅娅绚烂、光辉的温情的笔调感到欣慰。即使外来旅人会感到缺氧的雪域高原，生活仍然像燕娅娅所描绘的那样，不乏快乐和梦想。
　　从吴作人、韩乐然、董希文开始，西部边疆少数民族身形之美，一直吸引着全国各地的画家。五十年代的黄冑、八十年代的詹建俊、靳尚谊、全山石……在表现新疆少数民族的形象方面，为当代画家开辟了新天地。像燕娅娅这一代人，既从前辈那里得到启示，又要探寻自己的道路。在绘画形式上，色彩的绚烂和阳光的明亮；在绘画对象上，专注于塔吉克妇女和儿童的纯真、质朴和美丽。“塔吉克的小姑娘”、“心愿”、“南疆‧印象” 组画、“喀什‧印象” 组画等作品，在我们眼前展现了一个流溢着阳光和色彩的青春世界。在全世界的美术家被焦虑、虚无和绝望情绪所困扰的年代，燕娅娅确立这样的创作取向，有赖于她对帕米的挚爱和在艺术选择上的勇气来支撑。
　　在描绘处理上，这位青年画家显然有她的描绘重点。例如明亮的眼睛、斑驳的阳光投影以及衣服和背景的明暗对比等等，在每一幅画上都可以看到这些因素的强调。“南疆的光在我眼里跳跃、闪烁……梦幻般的色彩洒落到塔吉克人身上……南强的色彩……拨动着我的心弦”。她在南疆所获得的对光与色的惊喜，已经融入她对高原人心灵的体会，成为她的绘画标记。就正如从她成功的作品上所见，只有有区别、有限制、有内在逻辑地强调这些东西，才能使这些视觉印象化为生命激情。
　　水天中
　　中国艺术评论家
　　二零零三年立冬  于北京
　　Embracing the Pamirs of Yan Ya Ya
　　Individual regions, with their characteristics milieus, landscapes and local customs, have an inexpressible influence on the creation of art. We cannot imagine separating history’s great artists from the lands so dear to them –suppose Fan Kuan of the Northern Song Dynasty had never entered the Zhongnan Mountains, that EI Greco had never moved to Toledo, that Giovanni Segantini had kept far away from the Alps, that Claude Monet had never set eyes on the woods in the suburbs of Paris and the water of the Seine…Of course, such supposition is far-fetched, and logic tells us that the decisive factor behind their successes was artistic genius, but the history of art has to be rewritten!
　　With scientific and technological advances in the latter half of the 20th century, cultural interaction between various areas and groups have grown with time; mountains, oceans, deserts and national boundaries can no longer impede cultural exchange and artistic amalgamation between peoples. In spite of this development, regional culture remains an irreplaceable and dynamic element in the growth of artists. In the field of art in China today, the distinct natural landscapes and cultures of individual regions continue to influence with enduring vitality, the development of virtually every artist, shaping the evolution of their artistic styles in a profound and unconscious manner.
　　Born in the ancient city of Xian, Yan Ya Ya studied the art of painting in Gansu in the 1980s, and in the summer of 1984. She visited Xinjiang for the first time. The diverse ethnic minorities of Nanjiang’s vast plains, as well as the colors of its sky, land and houses, all left an indelible impression, on her. Reminiscing, her feelings “sparked” her “inspiration for life”, and in her own sentiments, “those natural colors, filled with a strong, lively vigour, and the ever-changing light, would hold me forever spellbound”. What she meant by “forever”, was “falling in love at first sight”, for all time. Since then, Yan has regarded the Pamirs as the base for her artistic creation, and has visited the highlands nine times to date. In the past decade or so, all her representative works have been connected, either directly or indirectly, with her beloved Pamirs. To be precise, they all originate form the highlands she keeps so preciously in her heart.
　　For more than half a century, the landscapes and life of the western regions have become essential artistic resources in Chinese art. Taken by many as the main theme of their works, each artist has infused personal perspectives into his or her creations, leading to a great array of styles. Even outside of Xinjiang, the number of artists who concentrate on depicting images of Xinjiang’ ethnic minorities are quite a few. But the uniqueness of Yan Ya Ya’s works lies in her assiduity and heightened insight, and is founded on the noble spirit of the local people she has discovered. According to the artist herself, she finds inspiration and flittering colors over the snow-clad plateaus and infinite desert. Favoring sunshine and colors in her paintings, most figures are indeed illuminated in bright sunlight by her brush, notably differing from a number if established artists who, with their skilful brushwork, seem keen on presenting ethnic peoples in grey, heavy shades. Such a sullen atmosphere seems to permeate every portion of a painting, from surroundings and costumes, to expressions in the eyes. Of courses, the orientation of such portrayal has something to do with the difficulty of life on the western highlands. But those who are familiar with life there are delighted to see the magnificence and splendour in Yan Ya Ya’s work. On a snow-capped mountain, where outsiders often suffer from altitude sickness, life is, as presented by Yan Ya Ya, full of joy and dreams.
　　The life of ethnic minorities in the western regions have long attracted the attention of artists throughout the country. Among them were the pioneers of their kind – Wu Zuroren, Han Leran and Dong Xiwen. With Huang Zhou in the 1950s, Zhan Jianjun, Jing Shanggyi and Quan Shanshi of the 1980s, these artists blazed new trails in the representation of Xinjiang’s ethnic minorities. Yan Ya Ya and artists of her generation have not only inherited the enlightment of their predecessors, they have also explored their own unique paths. In srtistic form, Yan emphasizes stunning colors and bright sunshine. Of the subjects in her paintings, she focuses on the innocence, simplicity and beauty of Tajik women and children. A Little Tajik Girl, Wish, Impressions of Southern Xinjiang (A series of paintings), and Impressions of Kashi (a series of paintings) present to viewers a world of youth full of glorious sunlight and colors. In a time when artists throughout the world are distressed by troubles, apathy and despair, Yan Ya Ya’s creative orientation springs from her love for the Pamirs, and is bolstered by the courage of her artistic choice.
　　In painting, this young artist naturally has her preferences, such as sparkling eyes, dappled shade, the sharp contrast of the colors of fabric against that of landscape, and so forth. In each of her works, we can see her emphasis on such factors. “The light of southern Xinjiang leaps and flutters in my eyes…The dreamlike illumination cascades onto the Tajik people…The colors of southern Xinjiang have touched my hearts strings.” She takes delight in the light and colors of southern Xinjiang, which have fused with her feelings about the people of the highlands and become symbols of her paintings. As shown in her works, they highlighted in various shades and adaptations but rooted in an intrinsic logic. And these visual impressions have turned into a passion for life.

　　Shui Tian Zhing
　　Art Critic
　　Early winter, 2003
　　Beijing