Chinese paintings by master Song Wenzhi (1919-1999) and other artists are on display at an exhibition at the Song Wenzhi Art Research Center in Longhua District. Entry is free but sign-up is required (call 136-7024-0916).

Born in Taicang in Jiangsu Province, Song studied fine art in Suzhou and taught in Taicang and Anting for 16 years. During his time there, he learned from influential painters in Shanghai, such as Zhang Shiyuan, Wu Hufan, Lu Yanshao, Fu Baoshi and Zhu Qizhan, and drew from their techniques. He always explored innovative forms of artistic expression. Enlightened by “color-splashing” and other new techniques, his works are full of fresh air and the innovative, pioneering spirit of modern Chinese landscape painting.

Song’s paintings include both pastoral mountain-and-water paintings and landscapes with natural scenes that are more like backdrops, depicting the construction work that was taking place around the country and the lives of common people.

Although he worked in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, he frequently visited Guangdong. In 1960, a group of painters from Nanjing embarked on a journey across the country, hoping to adapt the classic Chinese mountain-and-water genre of painting to the needs of a new time. Song’s resulting painting “Guangzhou Shipbuilding Plant” was acclaimed by Fu and other painters. Since 1978, he had frequently participated in events and created paintings in Shenzhen. In July last year, exhibitions and academic activities were held in Shenzhen to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Dates: Until Feb. 20

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Venue: Song Wenzhi Art Research Center, Room 501, Unit 2, Block 1, Zone B, Galaxy Dante, Longhua District (龙华区星河丹堤B区一栋二单元501室宋文治艺术研究中心)

Metro: Line 4 to Minle Station (民乐站), Exit C(Cao Zhen)