Cultivation and Dedication —— Donated Works of Wu Guanzhong2009.02.26 To 2009.03.08Hall 1, 2, 3, 7, 9More Works
The exhibition “Cultivation and Dedication--Donated Works of Wu Guanzhong” will be held at National Art Museum of China on February 26th, 2009. More than 180 pieces of oil and ink paintings of Wu Guanzhong collected by National Art Museum of China, Shanghai Art Museum and Singapore Art Museum will be on show. These works will display the fruits of creativity of different period in his artistic career and unfold a whole picture of his achievements in art before visitors.
Wu Guangzhong is the most influential artist with typical significance in 20th century of Chinese art history. He is forthright, sincere and devotes himself to art. He has boosted the development of Chinese art on both artistic creation and academic advocates, making great efforts and exploration particularly on integration of Chinese and western art, reconciliation of oil painting with ink painting and formal beauty of art, writing an important chapters in the Chinese art of the 20th century.
Mr. Wu once said: “I have been cultivating all my life to pursue the unknown. Now I have my harvest displayed and donated to my people and let people to evaluate.” He works hard and creates a large amount of works and does “dedicate his works to people” as he said. The works in this exhibition which include fruits of the painter over half a century from 1954 to 2008 are all donated by Wu Guanzhong to the three museums-the organizers. It is a generous gift he offers to the people.
Wu Guangzhong (Born 1919)
Born in 1919, Wu Guangzhong also named Tu, is a native of Yixing in Jiangsu province. He was originally an engineering student, yet upon his visit to Hangzhou National Art College headed by Lin Fengmian, he was immediately fascinated by the brilliance of art and devoted his life to it. Wu graduated from the Hangzhou National Art College in 1942 and became one of the best student of Lin. He went to France in 1947 and entered the cole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris. After his return to China in 1950, he took a series of teaching post in various academies including the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, Qinghua University and Beijing Arts School. Wu has numerous publications including Kite with Unbroken String, On Coping Styles and Searching East and West. Wu is an energetic and creative artist who excels equally in oil and ink painting. For decades he has been exploring ways of reconciling the two traditions, and in his work shows a mutual influence of Chinese and Western styles. His early works which depicted Jiangnan river houses as a major theme were highly poetic. Special emphasis was given to the mix and match of points, lines and surfaces in his composition. His outdoor landscapes are wonderfully conceived, involving selection of different vantage points as the artist seeks the subtle movements and serene presence of nature through painted forms.
