Veteran artists' joint exhibition features 100 pieces
A joint exhibition featuring 100 artworks created by two veteran artists – Wang Jieyin and Zhao Dajun – is underway at the Museum of Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute through November 25.
Varying from canvas, prints, watercolors and gouaches to sketches, the works showcased at the exhibition entitled "Cypress of Han Dynasty & Sounds of River: Art of Zhao Dajun and Wang Jieyin" include representative paintings of the pair during different periods of their art journeys.
"'Cypress of Han Dynasty' doesn't mean a specific piece of painting, but rather it represents a spiritual freedom," explained Jiang Mei, curator of the exhibition.
"Perhaps 'sitting in oblivion' is a perfect phrase to describe it, a free spirit interwoven with a power and also something inexplicable and eternal."
One of the "Cypress of Han Dynasty" series by Zhao Dajun on canvas
Wang's "Large Landscape" and "Round Dots" could best reflect his interpretation of classicism. In "Large Landscape," simplified lines and planes conjure a classic and empty atmosphere, while in "Round Dots," dots constitute a classic landscape of imagery.
Born in 1941 in Shanghai, Wang had early fame as a print artist, which later strongly influenced his understanding of colors, lines and the tableau of other media, such as canvas and watercolors.
Different from Wang, Zhao has a preference for brilliant hues and more abstract lines.
Born in 1938 in Hankou, Hubei Province, Zhao is an advocate of sketch as a solid base in art, and the exhibition displays a collection of his sketches.
"Holy Mountain" is one of the exhibition highlights. In 2008, Zhao traveled to Tibet and Sichuan Province, where he was enlightened by the mountains.
Due to a health condition, the artist stopped working on canvas eight years ago. For him, the return to oil painting is akin to a return to life and emotions. Unsophisticated and spontaneous creation has gradually dominated his canvas.
"Poetic Dwelling Beside Mountain and River" by Wang Jieyin on canvas
Exhibition info
Dates: Through November 25 (closed on Mondays), 10am-5pm
Venue: Museum of Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute
