Helen Deng

    deng.hneng@gmail.com

    FU BAOSHI and Guan Shanyue are undoubtedly among the most famous figures in modern Chinese art history. The work “Such Is the Beauty of Our Rivers and Mountains,” which they jointly created for the Great Hall of the People in 1959, is a household name in China.

    Now Shenzheners have a chance to appreciate the works of the two masters. Guan Shanyue Art Museum is exhibiting works of Guan, Fu and cartoonist Hua Junwu to celebrate its 15th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of Guan’s birth.

    Guan Shanyue’s works

    Guan (1912-2000), originally named Zepei, was a Guangdong native and a master of the Lingnan School of Painting. In 1997, he donated 813 of his artworks to Shenzhen, where a museum named after him was then built — Guan Shanyue Art Museum.

    Guan was born in the year when China’s 2,000-year-old dynastic rule was brought to an end. He lived through tumultuous times — the power struggles following the Chinese Revolution of 1911; the upheavals of the anti-Japanese war of 1937-1945; the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949; the Cultural Revolution; and the reform and opening up.

    The exhibition shows more than 80 of Guan’s artworks, which give a paramount view of Guan’s life and art.

    Early examples depict homeless people during the wars and boats on fire. Later works show villagers building a road along a mountain. The most significant works are landscape and plum flowers that he created in his later years. Letters, books, news reports and photos are also on display to inform visitors about Guan’s life and career.

    While Guan’s works show the historical context with great vividness, they are also the artist’s reflections of history. Therefore, in a 1957 painting of dead sparrows (Mao Zedong ordered the killing of sparrows, blaming the birds for eating grain), he added a few lines expressing his sorrow for the sparrows in 1980.

    Fu Baoshi’s works

    Perhaps the most original Chinese portrait painter and landscapist of the modern era, Fu (1904-1965) created indelible images celebrating his homeland’s cultural heritage while living through one of the most devastating periods of the country’s history.

    From doing an apprenticeship in a painting shop to studying art history in Japan, and later becoming a diligent artist who traveled all over China to capture the country’s landscape, he formed his own style based on traditional artistry.

    Fu is a longtime friend of Guan. To mark the friendship of the two artists, Guan Shanyue Art Museum is holding an exhibition of Fu’s works in cooperation with Nanjing Museum. It was the first time for Fu’s works to appear alongside works of Guan in an exhibition.

    A total of 61 pieces of Fu’s artworks are shown, including sketches Fu made for “Such Is the Beauty of Our Rivers and Mountains.” The most imposing works are panoramic views of majestic mountains, rivers and forests.

    A Life in Cartoons

    — works by Hua Junwu

    Hua (1915-2010) is one of the most outstanding contemporary cartoonists in China. His cartoons are distinctive for their “Hua Style” featuring people with unkempt dress and messy hair, unadorned yet imposing. The rhymed illustrations also add humor and sarcasm to the cartoons.

    The exhibition shows nearly 200 of Hua’s cartoons, including the famous “Piggy” series, featuring Piggy, a character in the novel “Journey to the West.”

    Guan Shanyue Art Museum was opened June 25, 1997. Its collection focuses on the study of Guan and contemporary art.

    A grand ceremony was held Tuesday to mark the 15th anniversary of the opening of Guan Shanyue Art Museum. Wang Rong, Party chief of Shenzhen, attended the ceremony and described the museum as a “name card” of the city.