Reflections of artist's humanistic concern for mankind

As one of a series of exhibitions to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Liu Haisu Art Museum is unveiling a retrospective exhibition of Chen Yanqiao (1911-1970).

Titled "Call to Arms," the exhibition features 71 selected works from Chen, a pioneer of the Chinese New Woodcut Movement. In addition to his woodcarving prints, the exhibition showcases Chen's documents and books as well as his woodcarving tools.

When reviewing the history of Chinese art over the past century, the Chinese New Woodcut Movement initiated by Lu Xun (1881-1936), a renowned writer and philosopher, was an important part of the modern Chinese revolutionary literature and art movement.

Revolutionary artists emerged during the tottering and war-torn age, and used their woodcutting knives as "weapons" to arouse millions of Chinese people with their influential art renderings. Chen is one of the outstanding representatives.

Chen graduated from Guangzhou Art School and Shanghai Xinhua Art School. He then followed Lu Xun to initiate the Chinese New Woodcut Movement, and became one of Lu's important students and assistants. He created a large number of woodcut works with strong fighting power in several revolutionary activities led by the CPC. 

Chen was also the first person to compile and publish "Lu Xun and Woodcut," a book that expatiated on Lu Xun's aesthetic philosophy and was later translated into Russian and published in Moscow in 1956.

Chen's works not only mirror the era of the time, but also express a humanistic concern toward people and society.

Ti Gong

Exhibition info

Date: Through July 18 (closed on Mondays), 9am-5pm
Venue: Liu Haisu Art Museum