Anna Zhao

    anna.whizh@yahoo.com

    ABOUT 80 fine brushwork paintings, also known as meticulous paintings, by 79 Chinese artists are on exhibit in the Guan Shanyue Art Museum through May 8.

    The exhibition is dedicated to outstanding work by contemporary Chinese artists, most in their 20s or 30s, and is grabbing attention for their fresh interpretation of traditional Chinese art.

    Now in its third year of annual exhibition, themed “Imprint of the Young,” this year’s exhibition is showcasing work with a higher degree of artistic value, diverse styles and more maturity than previous ones, according to Chen Zhuofei, curator of the exhibition.

    Though artists may differ in their individual styles, their work can be grouped in the fine brushwork tradition.

    Artist Yang Weiwei employed Western oil painting skills in his “Warrior’s Game” but the painting retains Chinese characteristics, namely elaborate sketches. Yang’s mature skill — grafting Western painting skills onto Chinese paintings — won praise from Chen.

    “A good Chinese brushwork painting speaks for itself when you look at it the first time, even though some painters may use Western painting skills,” Chen said.

    Modern society is an increasingly popular topic among young artists, as they search for their own identities.

    This is reflected in the depiction of virtual scenes and dream-like fantasies in a number of paintings, such as “Tree and Confusion” by Yu Xiaoping and “Revere in Dream” by Lu Mengyuan.

    Chen said depicting human figures was what ancient masters of fine brushwork paintings excelled at but contemporary artists are comparatively weak.

    The painting “A Group of Beauties” by Su Yuying is reminiscent of the tradition.

    The artist depicts young women’s leisurely life. He added that it’s encouraging to see talented artists emerging from a local art academy.

    Chen said there may be disputes with regard to the genre paintings belong in, because some paintings mix Western and Chinese influences.

    For example, “Ge Yuan” by Zhang Xijun is more of a collage than a painting with an aesthetic effect that is quite different from traditional Chinese paintings.

    “Some art work still has room for improvement to be qualified as good, but they deserve praise in terms of creativity,” Chen said.

    “We try to select work that represents different minds under the framework of fine brushwork painting and hope artists get inspiration from the clashes between different artwork.”

    Chen said he hopes the exhibition will foster a good environment for young artists whose works are not given the attention they deserve.