Aided by wheelchairs and walking sticks, hundreds of artists in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s have gathered in Beijing over the past week for the centennial exhibition of their former teacher, colleague and good friend Wu Zuoren (1908-97).
"Wu is one of the best artists and teachers I have ever known," said Jin Shangyi, 73, a former student and colleague of Wu and chairman of the Chinese Artists Association.
"Fully trained at art academies in the West and winning top awards upon graduation, Wu instead devoted his talent and energy to art education in China. His influence can be felt even today at the Central Academy of Fine Arts."
The exhibition, The Academy and the Art, coincides with a seminar on Wu's teaching and achievements during the 1950s and 1980s was held in Beijing on October 23.
The exhibition leaves the National Art Museum of China on October 28 and will soon move to Jiangsu and Anhui, Wu's birthplace and home provinces, and finally to Brussels next month as part of the Year of China in Europe cultural exchange program.
Apart from over 200 of Wu's signature works of oil, ink, watercolors and calligraphy, the exhibition also focuses on his education in France and Belgium, his early sketches, manuscripts, letters and old photos to reveal his thoughts on professional art education.
The Central Academy of Fine Arts, China's top art education institution, turns 90 this month. Founded in 1918 by renowned scholar and educator Cai Yuanpei (1868-1940), the academy "was the first national art school in China and its establishment marked the beginning of Chinese modern art education", says academy president Pan Gongkai.
Besides the Wu Zuoren exhibition, the academy is also staging various other shows, by both renowned artists and the younger generation.
"The academy has gone through a tumultuous path in recent decades," says Pan. "Generations of Chinese artists have witnessed dramatic social changes in this nation. Many of China's monumental artworks and landmarks are from the hands of teachers and students at the academy."
Some of the best examples include the sculptures on the Monument of People's Heroes, the design for the Great Hall of the People at Tian'anmen Square and Dong Xiwen's grand oil painting The Founders of the Nation depicting the historic moment on Oct 1, 1949, when Chinese leader Mao Zedong proclaimed the birth of the People's Republic of China.
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