On May 18, World Museum Day, the 500-meter Chinese painting scroll "Zheng He's Voyage to the West" created by the painter Zhong Kaitian was exhibited at the China Overseas Chinese History Museum.
Frontispiece. Courtesy of the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China.
From the old age painting to the old age, Zhong Kaitian spent four years, visiting many countries and regions that Zheng He had visited along the historical route to the West, and wrote hundreds of thousands of words of notes. It took 9 years to complete this 500-meter-long and 360-pound work, intending to restore the scene 600 years ago.
It took 13 years for Zhong Kaitian to complete this huge work, what supported him?
Zhong Kaitian said that at first, he never thought of painting a 500-meter-long scroll. But this history covers so much that in the end, the more you draw it. With so many characters, landscapes, flowers and birds, oceans, and the sky combined in one scene, and time and space have to be changed, does this require eighteen kinds of martial arts to complete?
"I'm not afraid of death, I dare to play with my life." Zhong Kaitian, who had enlisted in the army, said with a smile that this painting task is difficult, but I have the spirit of being a soldier, and I am not afraid.
A corner of the exhibition hall. Courtesy of the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China.
Feng Yuan, Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, said that Zheng He's Voyage to the West unfolds infinitely in the form of a Chinese scroll, breaking the usual focus perspective painting method, and instead using scattered perspective and a combination of virtual and real to extract the highlights of historical stories and provide a rich visual experience.
Feng Yuan said that the picture shows the people, geography and customs of various countries, and the audience can see how each country welcomed Zheng He's fleet, what gifts Zheng He brought to other countries, etc., which are inseparable from a large number of historical data collection and research in the early stage.
13 years for only one painting, such a spirit is really admired by Xiaoqiao.
In addition to the huge scroll "Zheng He's Voyage to the West", the China Overseas Chinese History Museum also exhibits more than 20 recent paintings and calligraphy works created by Zhong Kaitian, as well as 10 ancient porcelain photographs and 120 gold and stone seals related to Zheng He. The exhibition will run until June 18.
Editor: Wang Qin
Editor in charge: Ma Haiyan
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