Shanghai is the birthplace of modern Chinese comics, and generations of cartoonists such as Feng Zikai, Zhang Leping, He Youzhi, Dai Dunbang, and Ding Cong have recorded the city's changes and unique charm with their brushes. "Painting Shanghai - Shanghai Style in Comics" will be unveiled in Shanghai Culture Square from now on, and the exhibition is jointly curated by French comic research scholar Wang You'an and Chinese curator Zhou Yi, exhibiting nearly 600 masterpieces by 18 Chinese and foreign cartoonists and 4 collectors, telling the inseparable relationship between Chinese and foreign comics and the city of Shanghai.
Walking into the Shanghai Cultural Square, the former theater becomes an immersive exhibition hall, and the classic comic image is made into a humanoid standing sign, which contrasts with the paintings hanging on the walls. Shortly after the Spring Festival, the Shanghai New Year flavor in the comic has a long aftertaste. Serial painter Luo Xixian used a painting of "Preparing for the Most Noisy New Year" to depict the festival scene in Shanghai: it was the mid-winter season, the kitchen was hot for a long time, killing chickens and ducks, grinding glutinous rice flour, omelette dumplings, making smoked fish, plus cleaning inside and out, changing bed sheets and duvet covers, and people in Shikumen were busy coming in and out, jubilant. Comic strip artist Fan Shengfu used a paintbrush to depict scenes of children pasting Spring Festival, firing cannons and pulling rabbit lights, and the atmosphere of the family's lively New Year jumped on the paper.
According to the curator, the "Paint Shanghai" comic exhibition is on the occasion of the New Year, "with vivid cartoons, taking the audience to taste the daily and festive atmosphere of the city in Shikumen, the crowded and lively scene is filled with a strong new year flavor and human touch, depicting the people's love for life and the surging vitality of the city life." ”
After nearly a hundred years of development, Shanghai Comics has endured in the tide of the times and fierce market competition. In the 1930s, it was not only the golden age of Chinese comic masters, but also the Western comic works that came from afar, such as the well-known Disney "Mickey Mouse" and the Belgian comic national treasure "Tintin". Artists from all over the world gather in Shanghai to find the source of their creations.
Among the works on display, there are Feng Zikai's "Kiss", Ding Hu's "Baimeitu", He Youzhi's "I Came from the Folk", as well as Ding Cong's literati portrait cartoons, Zhang Leping and Dai Dunbang's "Sanmao" written by two masters. French cartoonist Thierry Robin's "Ball Lightning" based on Liu Cixin's science fiction novel has also attracted the attention of many people. Shanghai style does not stop there, painter Dai Hongqian was invited by Shanghai Airlines magazine to present the architectural style of Shanghai with cartoons.
It is worth mentioning that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House, which is known as the "cradle of Chinese comic strips", and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mr. He Youzhi, who once served as an editor and reviewer in the company. The series of "Walking through the Streets and Reminiscing about the Past" and the four "He YouZhi Paintings 360 Lines" series provided by the Shanghai Municipal History Museum were all created by Elder He based on memory when he was 80 or 90 years old. He used paintings to tell the old Shanghai, leaving precious historical fragments for future generations.
The exhibition is guided by the Cultural and Creative Special Exhibition Committee of Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industry Association, and hosted by Shanghai Trade Promotion Exhibition Co., Ltd. and Lelinlong (Shanghai) Culture and Sports Development Co., Ltd., and will last until March 26.