Wang Yuanyuan

    cheekywang@hotmail.com

    THE art works of late local painter, Huang Jufen, are being exhibited at Guan Shanyue Art Museum until Friday.

    The exhibition presents the representative works of Huang, which are a telling example of the city’s art development in the past 30 years.

    Born in 1944 in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Huang was one of the earliest women artists to be based in Shenzhen. She had worked at several cultural organizations including Shenzhen movie company (now under Shenzhen Media Group), Special Zone Literature magazine and Shenzhen Fine Arts Institute, and was the only professional woman painter in the institute. Huang died of cancer in December 2011.

    Huang’s works capture the zeitgeist well. Her early works were influenced by the art of the Soviet Union with strong social themes. With China’s reform and opening up, Huang started exploring herself and formed her unique styles from participation in oil painting, water color painting, traditional Chinese painting, poster designs and cover designs.

    “Huang and her classmates were among my most outstanding students,” said Yang Jiqi, Huang’s professor at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. Yang was Huang’s headmaster from 1959 to 1963.

    Huang and her classmates were the first batch of students after 1949 to enter the academy without family connections. “So they were very talented and devoted to the arts. They seldom rested at weekends, using the time to paint and practice. They also taught me a lot. Their creativity and insight helped me with my work,” Yang said.

    “It was a pity that Huang died so young. Painters usually peak between ages 50 and 70 because they have already formed their own styles after years of painting and finally had time to sit down and paint in a way that is true to themselves,” he said.

    Huang’s works reflect her femininity. She was particularly fond of flowers and natural scenery. Her works were gentle and full of the beauty of woman, said Guo Bing’an, Huang’s husband and former president of the museum.

    One of Huang’s most famous collections is a series of watercolor paintings of ballet scenes that she painted in the 1990s. “She combined ballet movements and rhythm with neat lines and clean colors,” Guo said.

    The exhibition is one of a series of exhibitions paying tribute to the local artists who came to Shenzhen in the 1980s.

    “They were the explorers of the city’s art development and made great contributions to promoting and passing on the city’s art tradition. Their works witness the city’s fast development and play an important role in the study of local art,” said Chen Xiangbo, president of the museum.

    Besides the exhibition, seminars on Huang’s works will also be held at the museum and more exhibitions featuring the works of local artists are expected to open at the museum soon, Chen said.

    Dates: Until March 15

    Venue: Guan Shanyue Art Museum, 6026 Hongli Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路6026号关山月美术馆)

    Metro: Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit B