“A Pool of Spring Water --- Art Exhibition in Commemoration of Lu Yifei’s 110th Birthday Anniversary” Is Opened at ZJAM

pubdate: 2018/3/17   author: zjam  source: zjam  click:

March 16, 2018 marked the 110th anniversary of the birth of Lu Yifei, an outstanding Chinese flower-and-bird painting master and art educator of the 20th century. “A Pool of Spring Water --- Art Exhibition in Commemoration of Lu Yifei’s 110th Birthday Anniversary” was opened at ZJAM on this very day under the sponsorship of the Chinese Artists Association, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture (ZPDC), the China Academy of Art (CAA), and Xiling Society of Seal Arts (XSSA). The Zhejiang Provincial Committee of Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party (CPWDP) and the Society of Poets, Calligraphers and Painters of the CPPCC of Zhejiang Province gave their support to the hosting of the exhibition. The exhibition was hosted by ZJAM under the assistance of the China Art Museum, Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, the School of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy of CAA, Zhejiang University Archives, Zhejiang Tourism Group, Changshu Museum, Xiling Academy of Painting and Calligraphy (XAPC), and Hangzhou Yuting Art Museum. The exhibition is open from March 16 to April 15, 2018 at Hall 4, 5 and 6 of ZJAM.

At the opening ceremony

Officials and guests attending the opening ceremony included: Zheng Shu, former deputy director of the Standing Committee of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress and former president of Zhejiang University School of Medicine; Chen Jiayuan, former vice chairman of the CPPCC of Zhejiang Province; Xu Jiang, vice chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, vice chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, and president of CAA; Chen Ronggao, former secretary general of the CPPCC of Zhejiang Province and vice chairman of the Society of Poets, Calligraphers and Painters of the CPPCC of Zhejiang Province; Ye Wenling, honorary chairwoman of the Zhejiang Writers Association; Ye Jing, member of the Party Group and deputy director of the ZPDC; Tian Ye, full-time co-chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of CPWDP; Gao Fagen, former vice president of CAA; Zhang Lichen, director of China Artists Association and doctoral tutor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; He Shuifa, director of China Artists Association, vice president of the Chinese Painting Society of the Ministry of Culture, and president of Lu Yifei Research Society; Ma Qikuan and Xu Jiachang, professors of CAA and vice presidents of Lu Yifei Research Society; Liu Huaxian, full-time deputy secretary general of the Society of Poets, Calligraphers and Painters of the CPPCC of Zhejiang Province; Zhang Hong, director of the Organization Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of CPWDP; Deng Xiaopeng, chairman of the CAA Branch of the CPWDP; Ma Jingdi, director of Zhejiang University Archives; Hu Xiaohan, president of Zhejiang People’s Fine Arts Publishing House; Shi Ying, deputy director of the Art Department of ZPDC; Lan Lei, deputy director of Zhejiang University Archives; Du Qun, secretary of General Party Branch and deputy curator of ZJAM; Zhang Weimin, vice president of Zhejiang Painting Academy and vice chairman of Zhejiang Flower-and-Bird Painters Association; Tao Li, deputy director of the Standing Committee of Changshu Municipal People’s Congress; Hong Ben, deputy editor-in-chief of Zhejiang People’s Fine Arts Publishing House; Li Ruigang, curator of Changshu Museum; Wang Lifang, vice president of XAPC; Wang Gaocai, vice principal of Suzhou No.4 Middle School (formerly Taowu Middle School); Hu Zhihong, art director of Hangzhou Yunting Art Museum.

The artists attending the opening ceremony included: Professor Zhu Yingren, Professor Ye Shangqing, Professor Wang Qingming, Professor Du Manhua, Professor Gan Zhenglun, Professor Lu Xin, Professor Shen Yue, Professor Han Lu, Professor Liu Haiyong, and Professor Yan Xuelin from CAA, as well as renowned painters Zhu Qingyou, Bi Zhang, Sun Taocheng and Chen Muzhi, who were Lu Yifei’s students.

Before the exhibition was started, Cai Rong, curator of this exhibition and employee of the Collection Department of ZJAM, gave a guided tour for visitors and the media.

Xu Jiang, vice chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, vice chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, and president of CAA, gave a speech. After watching the exhibited works, Xu Jiang said he was very excited. The opening of the exhibition coincided with the first event of the 90th anniversary of CAA, “Returning to the Lonely Mountain”. In the 39-volume canon of CAA, there was a photo of Lu Yifei, frowning and a brush pen in his hand. This photo was very meaningful. Lu Yifei created many a few paintings in his life and taught a lot of Chinese painting courses. So to speak, he devoted all his life to painting. He was the peak of a generation of famous masters. Two of his articles are displayed in this exhibition. One mentions that artistic accomplishments come from “three knowledge”: the first one is “longitudinal knowledge”, which means inheriting traditions and paying attention to norms; the second one is “horizontal knowledge”, which means drawing on other genres of art to boost self-cultivation in many ways; the third one is “internal knowledge”, which means developing artistic cultivation in many aspects. The “three knowledge” was a close shot of his life and he was a master proficient in such “three knowledge”. The spirit of the generation of which Lu Yifei was a part was reflected in his paintings and lives in our memory. It is passed down from generation to generation, forever.

Xu Jiang, vice chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, vice chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, and president of CAA, giving a speech

 

He Shuifa, a representative student of Li Yifei, director of China Artists Association, vice president of the Chinese Painting Society of the Ministry of Culture, and president of Lu Yifei Research Society, gave a speech. He said that the opening of the exhibition marked the 110th anniversary of Lu Yifei’s birthday and the 50th year of his relationship with the master. The exhibition was meaningful as it coincided with the launch of a series of important measures taken by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to inherit and develop Chinese excellent culture. Lu Yifei was an outstanding contemporary flower-and-bird painter, art educator, philanthropist and theorist. He had remarkable artistic achievements and was very concerned about national affairs. As his disciple, He Shuifa had nothing more to say than “gratefulness and gratitude”. He was grateful to the great motherland and to Lu Yifei for devoting all his life to inheriting and developing the outstanding Chinese culture. He said that Lu Yifei set an example for future generations.

He Shuifa, a representative student of Li Yifei, director of China Artists Association, vice president of the Chinese Painting Society of the Ministry of Culture, and president of Lu Yifei Research Society, giving a speech

 

Tao Li, a representative from Lu Yifei’s hometown and deputy director of the Standing Committee of Changshu Municipal People’s Congress, delivered a speech. Tao Li said that Changzhou was the hometown of famous paintings including Huang Gongwang, Wang Shigu and Lu Yifei, as well as a painting school named after Mount Yu, which inspires and influences the later generation greatly. Mr. Lu Yifei was an outstanding Chinese flower-and-bird master and outstanding art educator from Changshu and was the pride of this place. On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of his birthday, this high-profile exhibition is of great significance in that it commemorates the artistic achievements and noble character of the master and encourages inheritance and promotion of excellent culture.

Tao Li (female), a representative from Lu Yifei’s hometown and deputy director of the Standing Committee of Changshu Municipal People’s Congress, delivering a speech

 

Lu Gongrang, a representative from Lu Yifei’s family, gave a thank-you speech. He expressed his deep gratitude to all the organizations and people who worked for “A Pool of Spring Water - Art Exhibition in Commemoration of Lu Yifei’s 110th Birthday Anniversary”. Lu Yifei had many accomplishments in Chinese painting. In 1959, he co-founded with Pan Tianshou, Wu Fuzhi and Zhu Lesan a comprehensive teaching system for the flower-and-bird painting major of the Chinese Painting Department of the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (ZAFA) and contributed to the inheritance and development of this painting genre in Zhejiang. Now everyone gathered to commemorate the 110th anniversary of his birth. This gathering was to strongly promote the art and character of the older generation of artists and, more importantly, to carry forward the Chinese outstanding culture into the future.

Lu Gongrang, a representative from Lu Yifei’s family, giving a thank-you speech

 

Ying Jinfei, executive deputy curator of ZJAM, hosting the opening ceremony

 

In June 2017, Lu Yifei’s eldest son Lu Gongwang, second son Lu Gongrang, and daughter Lu Youlan donated his 510 works and collections (or 154 pieces) to ZJAM. That was a valuable artistic asset. This exhibition was held to commemorate the 110th anniversary of Lu Yifei’s birthday and expressed appreciation to the donation.

ZJAM will make full use of this art treasure to start an in-depth study on the art of Lu Yifei, host exhibitions and make exchanges. It also plans to host a special exhibition of Lu Yifei’s sketch works next year, so that the collections are activated and benefit professionals and the public. This is in line with the principle of developing and utilizing collections that ZJAM has always adhered to. We believe that this is the best way to appreciate the donors.

Ye Jing, member of the Party Group and deputy director of the ZPDC, presenting the donation certificate to the family member of Lu Yifei

 

A group photo

 

In addition to the donated works, the exhibition gathers more than 120 pieces of Lu Yifei’s calligraphy and painting works collected by different institutions. It is the largest exhibition of Lu Yifei’s works ever. The exhibition is divided into three sections according to the master’s artistic career: The Origin from Mount Yu, the Sound of the Sea, and the Teaching Career at ZAFA. Flower-and-bird paintings are the highlights, and all of the exhibits are representative works and fine works that Lu Yifei created in his early, middle-age and later years. These lively and vivid works will surely bring enjoyment to visitors.

Lu Yifei (1908-1997), born in Changshu of Jiangsu, had the given name “Chong” and the first courtesy name “Yifei”. He was renamed “Yifei” after 1937 and called himself “Feiweng” after he was 60. In his 70s, he was renamed “Susou” after his severe and lingering illness was healed. He served as a professor and postgraduate tutor at CAA, vice president of XAPC, honorary president of the Changshu Academy of Calligraphy and Painting, consultant of XSSA.

Lu Yifei was under the tutelage first of Li Xishan in his hometown and then of Chen Jiaan. He was admitted into the “Meijing Book House” where he studied under Wu Hufan.

In his early years, Lu Yifei mostly practiced painting with exact delineation and enriched colours and borrowed the techniques of Lv Ji, Lin Liang, Zhou Zhimian and Chen Hongshou. His painting style was clear, beautiful, and charming. In the 1930s, he was famous in the painting circle of Shanghai for his flower-and-bird paintings, although he also created landscape paintings. He was known with Tang Yun, Zhang Dazhuang, and Jiang Hanting as “the Four Talents of Flower Painting in South China”. After middle age, he studied and absorbed the essence of masters Nantian and Xinluo. He became good at boneless painting. His works were colorful but not vulgar, skillful but not rigid. In his later years, he learned from Qingteng and Baiyang, but he also took interest in great masters like Ba Da and Shi Tao. He matched calligraphy with painting to create an extensive and spiritual, sophisticated and sincere, as well as elegant style.

Lu Yifei first learned calligraphy in his early years from the styles of Jin and Tang Dynasties. In his middle-aged years, he learned from calligrapher Wen Huiming. In his later years, he focused on cursive script. He imitated masterpieces like the Calligraphy Manual (《书谱》) by Sun Guoting and Autobiographic Copybook (《自叙帖》) by Huai Su. He applied his painting skills to calligraphy and created an unrestrained, expressive and unique style.

Lu Yifei had taught at Shanghai Fine Arts School for 15 years since he was 24 years old, during which he also taught at Xinhua Art School and Suzhou Fine Arts School. After the liberation of China, he was one of the first painters of the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy. In 1959, hired by President Pan Tianshou, he began to teach at ZAFA, where he trained a large number of art talents who later lived all over the world.

His masterpieces included “Blooming Flowers and Full Moon” (《花好月圆》), “Going to the Countryside in Spring” (《春到农村》), “Japanese Camellia” (《一捻红》), “A Pool of Spring Water” (《一池春水》), and “White Peacock” (《白孔雀》). He held large-scale calligraphy and painting exhibitions in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Suzhou and Changshu. His works are collected by museums and art galleries in Shanghai, Changshu, Shenyang, Hangzhou and New York. He published large painting albums such as A Book on the Art of Flower-and-Bird Paintings (《花鸟画谱》), Lu Yifei’s Flower-and-Bird Paintings (《陆抑非花鸟画辑》), Lu Yifei’s Paintings Used in Teaching (《陆抑非教学画稿》), A Long Volume of Lu Yifei’s Cursive Calligraphy (《陆抑非行草长卷》), and Lu Yifei (《陆抑非》), and Collection of Lu Yifei’s Flower-and-Bird Paintings in the Painting Book of Rongbaozhai (《荣宝斋画谱陆抑非花鸟专集》), Quotations of Feiweng about Painting (《非翁画语录》), and From Borrowing to Creating (《从獭祭而成到信手拈来》).