Water town art on display at Liu Haisu Art Museum
"Series of Water Painting 1"
"Snow-capped Mountain"
A solo exhibition of veteran artist Lv Jiren's ink-wash paintings is at Liu Haisu Art Museum through May 26.
Born in 1944 in Shanghai, Lv's personal experience and career path are closely linked with the development of China.
When he was young, he was tutored by He Tianjian, Yan Wenliang and Tang Yun, all big names in the history of modern Chinese ink-wash painting.
In the 1970s, Lv had already attempted to fuse traditional Chinese brushstrokes with Western sketch structure and light and shadow techniques on rice paper.
Like many of his peers, Lv furthered his studies in the US in the early 1980s. The overseas experience not only honed his painting skills but also gave him a Western artistic perspective.
"Spring in Nanxun"
He soon became one of two successful Chinese painters in New York along with Chen Yifei (1946-2005), a legendary figure in contemporary Chinese art.
There are some similarities. Both were Shanghainese who pioneered their studies in the US and gained success there. It is also interesting that both preferred China's water towns as their subject.
Lv also created some colorful ink paintings of Hudson River, New York City and Venice, winning a number of awards in the US.
Some say his paintings have a "glossy surface," while actually they demand layers of coloring.
"It is quite slow for me to produce a piece of artwork. In my eyes, painting is not a reproduction of nature, but rather, a reproduction of the mind," Lv said. "Before start, I have to do a lot of preparation, such as searching information, writing ideas and drawing sketches."
Although Lv shuttles frequently between US and China, his passion toward his hometown never fades.
He made a huge hanging scroll "The Splendid Picture of the Huangpu River" for the Shanghai International Convention Center in 2000. Lv also created a 34-meter hanging scroll of "Pictures of Splendid China."
Exhibit info:
Date: Through May 26 (closed on Mondays), 9am–5pm
Venue: Liu Haisu Art Museum
Address: 1609 Yan'an Rd W
延安西路1609号
