Cao Zhen

caozhen0806@126.com

AN oil painting exhibition at the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning (MOCAUP) offers visitors a rare chance to delve into the behind-the-scenes stories of painting restoration, where they can admire the works of five Chinese masters.

The “Dreamscapes Restored: Art & Technology Intertwined — The Journey to the Rebirth of Artworks” exhibition, running through Nov. 17, showcases 29 paintings by Xu Beihong, Liu Haisu, Lin Fengmian, Dai Ze and Zhu Naizheng.

Among the exhibits are study copies of renowned Western oil paintings, such as Xu’s “Woman by the Window” (1922), a replica of a painting by Rembrandt, Zhu’s “The Village at the Seaside” (1978) emulating Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot’s artwork, and Dai’s “The Sigismund Bell” modeled after part of Jan Matejko’s painting.

The masters created these works between the 1920s and 1980s, reflecting Western artistic influence on them and the exchanges between Chinese and global art scenes. Over the years, the works have started to show signs of wear and tear, and the displayed works are all meticulously restored, revealing their brilliance once more to the public.

The exhibition also provides an insight into the processes of painting restoration, which combine cutting-edge technologies with exquisite craftsmanship. It displays the tools used and features an overview of the artwork conservation and restoration history in China and the West, granting visitors a view on this unique aspect of art history.

During a forum held at MOCAUP on Wednesday, Jia Peng, overseeing artwork restoration and material research at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (GAFA) and serving as the curator of the exhibition, highlighted that restoration involves not only repairing but also researching the artworks.

Fan Bo, head of the GAFA, emphasized the urgency and importance of protecting and restoring masterpieces. He commended the dedicated efforts of institutions like the Central Academy of Fine Arts and GAFA in advancing artwork conservation and restoration in China.