A TOTAL of 87 Chinese oil painters are exhibiting their works at an annual Chinese freehand oil painting exhibition at Guan Shanyue Art Museum. Entry is free. The freehand style of Chinese calligraphy and painting emphasizes achieving semblance with the spiritual. This genre of art does not aim for physical similarity with its subjects or the cooperation of reality. It could be said that the essence of freehand brushwork is that it distills subjects down to their most essential spiritual characteristics. The first rule of freehand brushwork is the use of “connotation,” or in other words, spiritual meanings. It focuses on the personality and interconnection of every element in the painting. Since the 19th century when the practice of Western oil paintings began to spread in China, domestic artists have for generations sought to incorporate the freehand style into their creation of oil works, adapting the Western art form to a Chinese aesthetic context. This is the fifth year of the annual Chinese freehand oil painting exhibition, which is organized by Guan Shanyue Art Museum in collaboration with Beijing Academy of China Xieyi Oil Painting and Lingnan Fine Art Institute. “The painters at the exhibition use rich artistic language to express themselves, which presents a progressing prospect for Chinese oil painting,” said Fan Di’an, president of Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. “After generations of artists’ research and innovation, Chinese oil paintings have become an important carrier for expressing Chinese culture and thinking,” he added. Dates: Until Feb. 16 Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed Jan. 24, Jan. 31 and Mondays but opens Jan. 27) Venue: Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Futian District (福田区关山月美术馆) Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit B(Cao Zhen) |