From figurative to abstract, from color to black and white, from flat to three-dimensional, from structure to deconstruction... On December 28th, the "Zongheng - Wang Huaiqing Art Exhibition" opened at the Art Museum of Tsinghua University, exhibiting 76 paintings by Chinese abstract artist Wang Huaiqing since the 1970s, including "The Old Garden", "Xing", "Tiangong Kaiwu", "Bole Statue" and other well-known works.
In the exhibition hall, an oil painting on canvas attracted many spectators. In the picture, the athletic Maxima is already skinny and bony, hanging its head low as if sighing. Next to it stood an old man of vicissitudes, stroking the horse's head and looking up at the "Heavenly Question", the picture was vivid and full of emotion. Wang Huaiqing introduced that this "Bole Portrait" was created in 1980, conveying his concern for the historical fate of Chinese intellectuals.
"At that time, China's intellectuals had just received a little superficial 'value affirmation' from the concept of 'people', and as a member of them, I expressed the hardships, tragedies and resentments in my paintings." He said that the painting creates a statue of Bole and the horse in the decorative lines and colors. Among them, the ancient Chinese characters in the black block and the mottled gold leaf-like color block add a tragic atmosphere to the picture, showing the vicissitudes experienced by Chinese intellectuals on the road of "value affirmation".
It is understood that Wang Huaiqing was born in Beijing in 1944 and is a national first-class artist of the Beijing Academy of Painting, a researcher of the National Academy of Painting of China, a member of the China Artists Association, and a director of the China Oil Painting Society. As an artist in China spanning a critical historical period of modern and contemporary times, he seeks inspiration and wisdom from traditional culture and critically blends with his artistic style.
In the exhibition hall, Wang Huaiqing's well-known paintings such as "The Old Garden", "Xing", "Tiangong Kaiwu", "Three-legged Standing", and "Labyrinth" were exhibited. He introduced that he drew inspiration from historical figures, Jiangnan architecture, Ming-style furniture, ancient calligraphy and painting, rooted artistic creation in Chinese culture, used pure painting language and material language, conveyed self-examination and self-confidence in Chinese culture, and sought a balance between inheriting tradition and self-innovation.
The exhibition will be held in the exhibition hall on the first floor of Tsinghua Art Expo and will last until March 31, 2022.