Tradition and new ideas on display at 15th Zhejiang Fine Arts Exhibition

The 15th Zhejiang Fine Arts Exhibition at Zhejiang Art Museum through May 26 displays 713 works that include oil paintings, woodcut prints, ink-wash paintings, sculpture, ceramics, cartoons and digital art.

Hosted every five years, the exhibits compete in the Zhejiang Fine Arts Award, with the winners of the 14 gold, 23 silver and 40 bronze awards announced at the end of May.

One of the most prestigious events in Zhejiang's art world, it has attracted a record 4,805 participants from around China this year. Organizers will also select 64 ink-wash paintings and 50 oil paintings to compete for the China Fine Arts Award in Beijing.

"It has been the biggest exhibition ever hosted in our museum with the most exhibits and most abundant artistic types," said Ying Jinfei, the museum's curator.

Ti Gong

The event is a platform for young artists, showing innovative and avant-garde work brimming with new ideas and technologies.

Digital art is popular with young artists as a new space for artistic expression and feelings. AI-generated content, virtual reality and mixed reality artworks have leveraged the role of technology in art.

Visitors can see Yang Shu's series which depicts a black world full of bizarre creatures and absurd atmospheres. When people step into the digital art space, they may feel a fragmented world separated from the traditional arts.

Some traditional works depict episodes in ancient literature. Hong Wanli and Lu Jiangyun's lianhuanhua (comic strip) portrays the story of Lu Zhishen, a monk in Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.

Lu Zhishen is the lead character in the first major story cycle of the novel, in which he epitomizes loyalty, strength and justice, but also brashness. He ranks 13th of the 108 Liangshan heroic characters.

Lianhuanhua, pocket-sized comic books originally published in the 1920s, was a major source of public entertainment in China. In 1970s and 1980s, lianhuanhua was one of the main ways spreading Chinese literature across the country.

Ti Gong

Ti Gong

Lacquered painting is also a traditional art form, which could date back 2,000 years. It gained popularity throughout the Song Dynasty (960–1279) and eventually became a traditional craft.

A lacquered painting must be covered with layers of lacquer, dried, smoothed and polished to achieve a thickness good enough for carving. A second coating is required to seal the painting.

The exhibition displays a lacquered painting called "Sunny Day" with over 100 figures carved on its surface. Compared with counterparts painted with pigment, such lacquered paintings feature a smooth and shiny texture.

"The soul of Zhejiang art is rooted in history, traditions, cultures and people," said Xu Jiang, chairman of the Zhejiang Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

The history of Zhejiang has been an inspiration for artists. He Liang, Liu Zhishu, Hao Qiukai, Huang Jingru, Sun Ziyi and Wang Aihua painted the fresco "Qi Jiguang," a famous general in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) who fought against invading Japanese pirates nine times over eight years.

Zhejiang locals have been commemorating General Qi for centuries. Today, the great wall along the coastal line in eastern Zhejiang is considered proof of Qi's resistance against pirates' aggression and his bravery.

People have always been the theme of paintings. Lin Jieqing's "Qingfengxulai" depicts young people pitching up tents and picnicking. This work is expected to compete for the China Fine Arts Award.

"Many exhibits display young people's lifestyles with vibrant and invigorated strokes. Their works embody contemporary life and spirits," said Xu. "Young painters' works always reflect their self-consciousness and confidence."

If you go

Dates: Through May 26 (closed on Mondays), 9am-5pm

Admission: Free

Venue: Zhejiang Art Museum

Address: 138 Nanshan Rd

南山路138号