On the morning of July 26, 2018, “Returning: Art Exhibition Tour (Zhejiang) of Xu Zhongou” was opened at ZJAM under the sponsorship of the Propaganda Department of Ningbo Municipal Party Committee, Ningbo Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Ningbo University. Officials and guests who attended the opening ceremony included: Pan Gongkai, vice chairman of the China Artists Association and former president of Central Academy of Fine Arts and China Academy of Art; Zhang Minghua, deputy mayor of Ningbo; Guo Huawei, director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education; Zhang Wenjie, deputy director of the Propaganda Department of Ningbo Municipal Party Committee; Party Secretary Xue Weihai, President Shen Manhong, and Vice President Shao Qianjun of Ningbo University; Wang Xiaoyong, Party secretary and vice chairman of the Ningbo Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Han Licheng, vice chairman of Ningbo Federation of Literary and Art Circles and curator of Ningbo Art Museum; Zhang Huining, director of the Liaison Department of Ningbo Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Sun Peiliang, chairman of Ningbo Artists Association; Lin Shaoling, vice chairman of Ningbo Artists Association. The exhibition works are distributed in Hall 5 and 6, and the exhibition will end on August 4, 2018.

Xu Zhongou has been dedicated to printmaking for more than 40 years. He once served as the director of the Printmaking Department at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, dean of the School of Urban Design of Central Academy of Fine Arts, and deputy dean of the Chinese Printmaking Institute of Chinese National Academy of Arts. He now is the dean of the Pan Tianshou Arts and Design Academy of Ningbo University. His works have been collected by the British Museum, the National Art Museum of China and other institutions. In the creation of printmaking, Xu Zhongou always adheres to the creative concept of “presenting Chinese contemporary with a Chinese identity” and constantly explores the oriental meaning of contemporary printmaking. His incorporation of the unique aesthetics of the East into the very expressive art that was originated from the West makes his works not only reflect the original artistic language and aesthetic taste, but also convey the vigorous, quiet and childish beauty of the oriental art. His works represent the rich spiritual realm of the oriental art and bring a new visual experience to the art of printmaking.

The theme of the exhibition, “Returning”, was inscribed by Pan Gongkai, representing Xu Zhongou’s artistic pursuit of examining the contemporary world with an open attitude and expressing the contemporary China with the Chinese identity while being based on tradition. At the same time, this theme is also reminder and encouragement of his examining the Eastern and Western art and constant engagement in theoretical and creative thinking. This exhibition selects more than 60 pieces of his recent works and some of his creative literature, including urban series, calligraphy series, and flower and bird painting series. They can fully demonstrate Xu’s artistic creation concept and his exploration and thinking in creative practice. The exhibition is believed to bring a new viewing experience with printmaking.

At the opening ceremony

Attending officials and guests

Zhang Wenjie, deputy director of the Propaganda Department of Ningbo Municipal Party Committee, delivering a speech

Guests talking with each other

A group photo of the guests

Guests visiting the exhibition