Wang Yuanyuan

    cheekywang@hotmail.com

    SIXTY-SEVEN traditional Chinese calligraphies and paintings are being exhibited at Shenzhen Museum in Futian District until June 16.

    The exhibit features precious Chinese calligraphic works and paintings from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the modern period, collected by Shenzhen Museum.

    “We hope to introduce the essence of Chinese art to the public and introduce the achievements made by ancient artists who were born or lived in Guangdong Province,” said Ma Xiaochun, the museum’s calligraphy and painting expert. “In ancient times, artists in Guangdong Province were not as famous or popular as those living in other parts of the country. In this exhibition, we’re showing many pieces by these Guangdong artists to illustrate the development of traditional Cantonese art.”

    Works of Guangdong artists including Xie Lansheng, Song Xiang, Zhao Ziyong, Su Changchun and Su Liupeng are being exhibited.

    A calligraphy work by Zhu Yunming is the most famous and precious piece collected by the museum.

    It is a 457-centimeter-long ode to a late sunny day. Zhu, widely known as Zhu Zhi-shan, was a famous calligraphist and writer known as one of the “four gifted scholars in the Jiangnan area.” He was famous for his cursive style and left many classic works after he died.

    “There are many of Zhu’s works left now, but this one is particularly precious because of its size. It is very difficult to find such a large work of his now,” Ma said. “The ode was written a few years before he died. At that time, he was a retired scholar living in a rural area and had a lot of time to practice his skill and form his own unique style. Compared with many other early works of his, this work shows his style and characters perfectly and looks more like a painting than a simple calligraphic work.”

    The exhibition also includes masterpieces painted by female artists, such as two flower paintings by Ma Quan, a well-known female painter from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

    “Ma’s works have strong feminine characters and she was very good at using colors to express plants and flowers. The two flower paintings at the exhibition are two of her most famous works and are used to make many things, such as fans and screens, today,” Ma said.

    Ma’s works have had very high values in recent years, with an average price of 50,000 yuan (US$8,082) per foot.

    Another significant work at the exhibition is a bamboo painting by Zheng Banqiao, one of the most outstanding and famous artists and scholars in Chinese history.

    Zheng, from the Qing Dynasty, was known as one of the “strange scholars in Yangzhou” and was famous for painting plants, particularly bamboo.

    “Many ancient Chinese artists liked painting bamboo because bamboo represents uprightness and integrity. However, Zheng changed the form of bamboo plants completely with his wild painting style. We also have some other artists’ bamboo paintings at the exhibition, which can help visitors compare different styles and expressions,” Ma said.

     Dates: Until June 16

    Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

    Venue: Shenzhen Museum, Block A, Civic Center, Futian District (福田区市民中心A区深圳博物馆新馆)

    Metro: Longhua or Shekou Line, Civic Center Station (市民中心站), Exit C