What is Lu Xun's former residence like in the midst of heavy snow? How much affection can be written in the middle of the revival of the leaves everywhere? On January 15th, at the upcoming exhibition "Tides on the Sea - A Collection of Works of Lu Zhiwen's Shanghai Celebrities' Former Residences" held at the Shangtu Bookstore and Art Cultural and Creative Store, 30 former residences of celebrities and the ten roads and gardens they once walked in Shanghai were displayed in front of the audience with a warm and emotional appearance. Lu Xun, Ye Shengtao, Lin Fengmian, Zhang Yuanji, Shen Yinmo, Feng Zikai, Ding Ling... These cultural giants seemed to have just turned away from their residences, and the slightly vibrating air still carried the breath of their coming. "I am a painter who came out of Shikumen, and I have a special love for the famous houses in Shanghai." Lu Zhiwen said.
Pictured: Lu Zhiwen's "Lu Xun's Former Residence"
The snow in 2008 made Lu Zhiwen remember it vividly. Because of this rare heavy snow, he went straight to Hongkou from the western suburbs and ran to Lu Xun's former residence in the new village of The Mainland on Shanyin Road. In the snow, re-examine the three-story red brick building that I did not know how many times I had come from childhood to adulthood, and the doors, windows, alleys, grass and trees in front of me were both familiar and strange in the snowflakes flying in the sky. Finally falling to the picture, the leaves on the branches of the trees have long been gone, bare and pointing straight to the sky, like a sword pointing at the long sky, with the hardness and sharpness that was rare in the past, like the coldness of Mr. Lu Xun.
"Ba Jin's Former Residence" was also created in 2008, and the small courtyard with abundant grass and trees is naturally green. "Now, the visitors to Ba Jin's former residence are endless and have become internet celebrity attractions, and more than 20 years ago, I could only peep in the gap outside the door, and then I finally had the privilege of stepping into the former residence and seeing Ba Jin's world." The changes in Barkin's former residence can also see the development of society. "Now, Lu Zhiwen will often revisit Ba Jin's former residence, because people come and go, the small building is full of vitality, and often goes to Changxin."
Pictured: Lu Zhiwen's "Ba Jin's Former Residence"
At No. 7 Garden Road in Kunshan, female writer Ding Ling once lived here and created the novel "Ben", which has now become a popular filming location. Lu Zhiwen's "Ding Ling's Residence" was painted in 1998, and the red brick walls and coupon-style wooden doors and windows in the shadows of the trees carry the fatigue and mottled of the past, and the turquoise shade on both sides brings great vitality. Lu Zhiwen said that Kunshan Garden Road was quiet in the middle of the bustle, and at that time, there must be good food stores and Xinhua bookstores on the side that he often went.
Pictured: Lu Zhiwen's "Lin Fengmian's Former Residence"
Lu Zhiwen takes traditional Chinese painting as the carrier, draws on the techniques of Western Impressionism and Expressionism, and skillfully transforms the abstract meaning full of ink rhyme into a painting language of new color ink, presenting a complex and changeable visual texture on the screen. Since the 1990s, Lu Zhiwen has been committed to painting the former residences of celebrities on the streets of Shanghai, and for more than 30 years, he has continued to search for them, and the painter has accumulated a thick pile of manuscripts at hand, and each painting has been repeatedly considered, and each stroke is full of his love for Shanghai. Because of the painting of the former residence of celebrities, Lu Zhiwen has also witnessed the history of many celebrities' former residences from little known to now officially listed, visitors endless history of change, Lu Zhiwen said, before the Xuhui Art Museum and The Song Qingling Memorial Hall held exhibitions, many visitors lingered in front of the paintings, have identified their familiar paintings, the guestbook at the entrance of the art museum is full of enthusiastic testimonials of visitors. What inspires people's enthusiasm? It is the common memory of the familiar roads and buildings of the city that connects thousands of hearts. (Xinmin Evening News reporter Xu Yisheng)