Leaf fig
"The Year of Gengzi is really not easy, by holding the national Invitation Exhibition of Chinese Opera Character Painting Famous Artists Calligraphy and Painting with the theme of 'Gengzi Gong and Drum', I want to ring the 'gong and drum' of the opera character painting and use the 'gong and drum' to drive away the epidemic!" At the scene of the "Gengzi Gong and Drum - Invitation Exhibition of Chinese Opera Character Painting Famous Artists Calligraphy and Painting", Xie Chunyan, president of the Chinese Opera Character Painting Research Association and a well-known painter, said.
On December 15, 2020, the "Gengzi Gong and Drum - Invitation Exhibition of Chinese Opera Character Painting Famous Artists calligraphy and painting" opened at the Shanghai Municipal Museum of Mass Art, in addition to the opera character paintings of dozens of well-known artists such as Ding Liren, Xie Chunyan, Chen Jiu, and also specially invited the well-known Peking Opera performance artist Shang Changrong and the kunqu master Ji Zhenhua to participate in the exhibition.
"Drama Painting Life" in the Ugly End of Life
Walking into the exhibition hall on the first floor of the Shanghai Municipal People's Art Museum, a strong opera atmosphere, the life and death in the paintings, the appearance of different looks, some freehand pen and ink, and some heavy brushwork, showing the diverse artistic features of this exhibition.
Chinese opera character painting has a long history, if it is said that opera is the essence of the country, and Chinese painting is the essence of the country, then the Chinese opera character painting is the superposition of the national essence. In Han and Tang Dynasty art, the theme of opera or puppet performance can still be seen, and in the Jin Yuan period, there are murals that directly reflect miscellaneous opera. Regarding the theme of opera characters in painting, in the late Qing Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, there are often relevant modeling contents and forms in many carriers such as drama examinations, embroidery portraits, rulers, door notes, and paintings. Since modern times, as the essence of China's national state, opera art has attracted many famous painters in modern times to create art with it as the theme.
One of the "Sichuan Opera Characters", Xie Chunyan
One of the works of Chen Jiu in "Red Pink Green Clothes"
Shanghai is one of the birthplaces of modern Chinese opera character painting, and famous artists such as Guan Liang and Lin Fengmian have created a large number of opera character paintings in Shanghai. Taking opera figure painting as an effective exploration style, combining the freehandness of local art with the expressiveness of Western painting, and the stylization of local art and the abstraction of Western painting, Chinese artists rethinking Chinese art with reference to Western art, and having a profound impact on the creation of Chinese opera figure painting.
"At the age of Gengzi, there are many difficulties in the world, but under the whole world, there are many dramas, all kinds of things, all into my eyes... This exhibition is also fortunate that the Mengli Garden class head Shang Changrong and Ji Zhenhua joined, is not it happy? But pray that the gongs and drums will be universally joyful, and the world will be peaceful", Xie Chunyan, the academic host of the opera character painting exhibition and a well-known painter, wrote the preface. With the theme of "Gengzi Gong and Drum", the invitation exhibition brings good wishes to the upcoming year of Gengzi and the upcoming New Year through more than 70 pieces of diverse and wonderful calligraphy and paintings of opera characters.
"Opera Characters" by Ding Liren
The invitation exhibition specially invited the national first-class actor, well-known Peking Opera performance artist Shang Changrong as an artistic consultant, more than 70 calligraphy and opera artists in a wide range of fields, not only Ding Liren, Xie Chunyan, Chen Jiu, Ji Ping, Zhu Gang and other artists, but also such as Shang Changrong, Ji Zhenhua and other opera masters and scholars Wang Yonghao to join, of which the oldest Mr. Ding Liren has passed 90.
Peking Opera "Honest Officials in Jackie Chan" singing lyrics Shang Changrong calligraphy
Shang Changrong and Ji Zhenhua are themselves famous opera artists, both of whom have deep calligraphy skills, and some of the calligraphy works exhibited in this exhibition are calligraphy works. The famous Peking Opera artist Shang Changrong wrote about the "Song of Righteousness in Life" in the Peking Opera "Honest Officials in Jackie Chan", starring him: "The road to life is bumpy, the misfortunes are uncertain, there are bitterness, there is sourness, and there is also joy." ”
Kunqu opera "Handan Ji Xingtian" singing lyrics Ji Zhenhua calligraphy
Ji Zhenhua also wrote a famous sentence in the Kunqu opera "Handan Ji Xingtian" that he starred in: "There is a road in the sky, and the years are endless." There are three white rooms, a bed of red dust, and it is sad to put down. Wang Yonghao, a professor at Fudan University, wrote his own words.
Exhibition scene Zhu Gang's work "Zhaojun Out of the Plug" (right)
"Drama Painting" Ji Ping's work
Among the participating artists, some of them have been wandering in the pear garden since childhood, and the drama and scene on the stage have long been engraved in the heart, and the brush stroke and ink seem to be borrowing the life and death of the play, expressing the cold and warm of human feelings; some artists integrate the artistic techniques of Western painting modeling, light and shade, light, color, texture, composition, etc., "singing", "reading", "doing", "playing" are depicted vividly, eating foreign, so that the viewer can closely feel the beauty of Chinese opera; some pay attention to the pursuit of literati aesthetic taste, The expression of imagery and the exploration of modernity.
Opening scene
Exhibition site
Zhang Jie, secretary of the party branch and deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal People's Art Museum, said that the opera character painting contains a very rich historical and cultural heritage, "The Shanghai Municipal People's Art Museum has been continuously focusing on cultural exhibitions and display work such as opera and painting and intangible cultural heritage. ”
See the artistic heritage of Lin Fengmian and Guan Liang
According to reports, the creation of opera character paintings, from its artistic taste and cultural quality, can be divided into two categories: borrowing plays to paint and entering plays to paint students. The former focuses on formal integration, while the latter focuses on spiritual fit. The former is represented by Lin Fengmian, and the latter is based on Guan Liang, who was the first person in modern times to introduce the traditional Chinese literati ink language into opera character painting. While pursuing both form and god, he often uses boneless freehand techniques to depict opera characters, using the pen and ink techniques of "blunt, stagnant, astringent and heavy", and is good at the exaggerated deformation of character forms, fully demonstrating the traditional freehand natural interest of literati painting, and integrating some languages of Western modern expressionism into his ink opera character painting creation. Guan Liang's opera character paintings focus on the pursuit of the wonderful moments of the opera stage, grasp the most prominent storyline or the actions and expressions of the character personality, pay attention to the proportion and gravity of the characters, and the rhythm of the action in line with the stage board eye, and create a unique "moment" form of opera painting. Looking at its paintings like watching a play, and it has a great cultural aftertaste that resembles watching a play, with the main purpose of expressing the true form of the opera stage, including stage characters and stage beauty (props, costumes, curtains, etc.), very realistic and close to the stage reality, recording the most wonderful moments of many classic repertoire. Planner Chen Jiu and others said that since its registration and establishment in 2012, the Chinese Opera Character Painting Research Association, as one of the organizers, has successfully held theme exhibition activities such as "Pastel Ink Painting - Chinese Opera Character Painting Ying", "Chinese Opera Character Painting 2013 Annual Exhibition", "Mei Yun Lanfang - Fan Painting Exhibition Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of Mei Lanfang's Birth", "Drama Painting Qifang - Commemorating the 120th Anniversary of Zhou Xinfang's Birth, Chinese Opera Character Painting Exhibition", "Ink Gong and Drum - Chinese Drama Character Painting Exhibition" and other theme exhibition activities. At the same time, as the organizer, there is also the "Zhu Gang Opera Character Painting Studio".
Participating artists, president of the Shanghai Art Museum Association, and president of the Academy of Fine Arts of the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts Zhu Gang said that the Chinese Opera Character Painting Research Association will hold exhibitions every year since its establishment, and previously held large exhibitions in Shanghai Liu Haisu Art Museum and Changsha Museum, which had a great impact, this exhibition coincides with the end of Gengzi's year, especially not easy, "I hope to hold more and more good exhibitions in the future, drive the creation and research of opera character paintings, and tell Chinese stories with vivid and vivid artistic content, condensed and expressively, Promote the common development of culture and education. ”
Exhibition site
Gu Cunyan, the curator of this exhibition, said that the creation of opera character painting has a deep nourishment and context of traditional culture, and has a wide dissemination of the foundation, this year coincides with the 120th anniversary of the birth of the ancestors of the creation of opera character painting Guan Liang and Lin Fengmian, many of the works in this exhibition can see their artistic heritage and the context of maritime opera painting, in addition to inviting famous artists to participate in the exhibition, the exhibition also invited many new people to participate, from which we can see Shanghai as the important town of Chinese opera character painting creation and the general appearance of creation in various places , different styles.
"Worship" Yu Qiping
"Costumed Characters", zhu Yamei's work
It is reported that the works of artists from all over the country participating in the "Gengzi Gong and Drum -- Invitation Exhibition of Chinese Opera Character Paintings and Calligraphy and Paintings" include: Chen Ruqin, Luo Fu, Ding Liren, Liu Yi, Dai Yunhui, Li Wenpei, Zhu Zhengeng, Shang Changrong, Xie Chunyan, Lü Chaoran, Ji Zhenhua, Lu Wangming, Zhong Ruqian, Shen Hu, Liu Yongjie, Zhang Weiren, Zhou Gang, Xu Kesheng, Li Lei, Su Hongsheng, Zuo Heping, Wang Xiaoli, Zhou Genbao, Zhang Chunxin, Wang Xiaohui, Ji Ping, Li Xiaoheng, Chen Jiu, Yu Qiping, Chen Ning, Zhu Gang, Gao Duo, Chen Jianhui, Zhou Weiping, Works by Yu Cun, Li Baixue, Wang Yonghao, Xiao Yuehai, Luo Bin, Shi Chan, Liu Hongpei, Bai Yunhao, Xu Hongquan, Luo Weimin, Li Wang, Feng Zhongyun, Miao Tong, Wu Lintian, Zhu Yamei, Bai Miao, Zhao Aihua, Gu Cunyan, Cui Tong, Yuhe, Dou Liangyu, He Zhenhua, Cui Xuetao, Liu Yipeng, Zong Xitao, Chen Shanglong, Zhang Pingping, Yang Yutian, Zhou Jun, Wang Mengsha, Bi Liwei, Mao Yujia, Xiang Shikui, Wang Hui, Zheng Yuanwu, Xu Xufeng, Liu Yonghui, Ma Feifei, Lin Weijie, etc.
"Shock and thinning of the mirror" Works by Gu Cunyan
"Social Drama", by Xu Xufeng
The exhibition is guided by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, sponsored by the Shanghai Mass Art Museum, the Chinese Opera Character Painting Research Association, the siva Zhu Gang Opera Character Painting Studio, and hosted by Banmuyuan Art (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Red Brick Culture Communication Co., Ltd. At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, the curator Chen Yuan was also awarded a letter of appointment as the deputy secretary of the Chinese Opera Character Painting Research Association.
The "Gengzi Gong and Drum - Invitation Exhibition of Chinese Opera Character Painting Famous Artists calligraphy and painting" will last until December 20.
Editor-in-Charge: Ruoxi Chen
Proofreader: Luan Meng