A Traditional Ink Twist

When speaking about traditional Chinese paintings, some critics on the mainland concur, saying, "Withtoo much adherence to tradition and emphasis on seclusion and meditation, ink and wash paintings havefailed to convey the modern spirit."But the status of Chinese ink and wash paintings is changing. The concept of ink and wash painting hasevolved from "Chinese painting" to "ink and wash painting" and then to "ink-wash art." Artists with traditionalhumanistic ideas strive to further develop in…     

The Fourth Treasure

THE grand opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 was unforgettable. On the center stage, elements unique to China rolled past us on a vast scroll. Projections of cliff paintings dissolved into an ink-and-wash painting as a performance troupe （dressed in black, to represent ink on paper） moved across the pale paper. It was a clever way for the director to represent ancient Chinese culture to people all over the world. While the Chinese elements may be commonly known, it is unlikely foreign audiences are aware of the name of the paper itself. Scrolls for traditional Chinese painting are drawn on Xuan paper.     

Bringing Frozen Landscapes to Life——Dong Junqi＇s Ink-and-Wash Art

DONG Junqi＇s wash paintings capture the beauty and quiet elegance of crystal ice, a unique natural characteristic of northern China. The artist mainly depicts the perennially snow-capped Changbai Mountains. His skillful use of ink-and-wash, and the meticulous layout of his work, owes a clear debt to traditional Chinese landscape painting, as well as expressing Dong＇s own innovative style.     

Landscape in Guilin by Tan Zhengrong

The mountains and rivers of Guilin are the foremost representative of Chinese scenic beauty. Those who choose the Guilin landscape as the subject matter for their Chinese ink painting add an esthetic element to their work by this choice. Tan Zhengrong, a painter of Maonan nationality draws on the landscape in Guilin in his paintings.     

The Charm of Chinese CLassicaL Private Gardens

Chinese classical private gardens were experienced as cultural rather than scenic. These private gardens were designed by artists and poets and were regarded as "Three-Dimensional Landscape Painting and Solid Landscape Poetry." Actually, Chinese classical landscape painting was unique for having poems written on paintings and making a painting a combination of landscape and poetic calligraphical strokes -this was the so-called "poetic landscape painting."     

Emotion and Conscience —— The Evolution of Bird-and -Flower Painting

IN the spring of 1994, a huge traditional Chinese painting was put up in the hall of Zhongnanhai,the headquarters of the CPC and the State Council. From a distance, the picture seems to use the more visible brush strokes and contrasts of impressionism, but as the viewer closes in on it the classical methods of Chinese drawing seem to prevail. The lush greenery and succulent flora in the picture are as vivid as a real parterre.     

如痴如醉的追求──记山水画家王大理

Mr. Wang Dali was born to an intellectual family in Shouyang, Shanxi in 1944. For many years, he has been painstakingly seeking the quintessence of the Chinese ink－ and－ water free style paintings, madly looking for the deepest layers of“ sediment” deposited by China’ s 5,000－ year civilization and its perfect sublimeness, and unswervingly plugging along the road of creating a style of his own by combining the Chinese culture with western culture. He said that painting was indeed an al…     

Zhang Daqian：An Artist of Contrasts

ZHANG Daqian (1899-1983) was skilled in many arts, including calligraphy, seal cutting and poetry, but it is for his paintings that he is best known. Yet he is not known for just his own paintings. Zhang Daqian was also a master forger of such quality and prolificness that curators are warned to ask themselves of Chinese paintings with uncertain origins, "Is this a work of Zhang Daqian?"     

Ink with Feeling

IN the early 1980s, China issued a set of 16 stamps in commemoration of the artist Qi Baishi （1863- 1957）. Each featured a work by the great ink and wash master. The image on stamp number five was created in 1957, inspired by a line from an ancient poem： ＂Frogs are heard in a mountain brook miles away.＂ The story of how this work came about reveals much about the philosophy behind traditional Chinese painting.     

Tian Fengyin, a Chinese Soul with Western Colors

CONTRARY to color wash which, for many people, constitutes the essence of Chinese painting. Tian Fengyin＇s paintings take us back to the world of oil painting and its color contrasts. But beyond their form, the reality illustrated by these paintings is permeated with the character of northern China.     

Absolutely Chinese

Ink painting animation - an exquisite art form that ends up in a museum Little Tadpole Looking for Mummy Little Tadpole Looking for Mummy, China's first ink painting animation, was produced in 1961. With innovation in painting, photography and production technology, it was the first effort at 'animating' ink paintings. Fishes, shrimps, frogs and crabs in the film resemble those in Qi Baishi's works. By any shot, it's an animated painting of fishes and insects, one that is suffused with a taste of Chinese ink-and-wash painting.     

The scroll of Pure Brightness on the River

The scroll of Pure Brightness on the River drawn by the Chinese tradi tional painting master Zeduan Zhang depicts a well-off scene of Dongjing (present city of Kaifeng), which was the capital of the Northern Song dynasty a thousand year ago and was the top-ranking metropolis at that time. The scroll     

Chinese Paintings Climb in Value

THIRTY years ago, you could buy a top-grade Chinese painting produced around 1950 for just RMB 20 to 30. If you still had the painting and it was in good condition, you might be surprised what it could fetch on today＇s art market. Such paintings have appreciated a minimum of 1,000-fold - some are worth as much as 100,000-times their original value.     

The Yan-Huang Art Gallery

THE Yan-Huang Art Gallery,located at Yayuncun (theAsian Games Village), isBeijing's first large modernart gallery. It was sponsored bycelebrated Chinese painter, Huang Zhou, and built withdonations from all walks of life, both at home and abroad.Its collection consists mainly of contemporary Chinesepaintings, and also includes ancient Chinese paintings andcalligraphy, cultural relics and other works of art.The Yan-Huang Art Gallery comprises a central lobby,exhibition halls, a multi-fu…     

A Banquet Is Incomplete without L~quor

The image of a scholar raising a glass of wine to the moon features in many Chinese paintings. In ancient times alcohol was lauded as the fountain of inspiration for men of letters, and is credited for many immortal works by some of the greatest names in China＇s history of literature, such as Li Bai and Li Qingzhao.     

Clear Water Flowing Easily,Pure Heart Speaking Naively

Qiu Zhaoming, a renowned Chinese painter, was born in Zhejiang, China in 1940 and graduated from the Central Academy of Fine tArts in 1964. Majoring in Traditional Chinese Painting, she studied from famous painting masters like Li Keran, Li Kuchan, YeQianyu and Zong Qixiang. As a member of Chinese Artist Association and the Editor-in-chief of People＇s Fine Arts Publishing House, she won several national awards. Her works have been displayed and awarded both nationally and internationally. In 1990, she received IBBY meritorious prize and the Hans Christian Andersen Award Nominees for her excellent illustrations for children. She becomes the first Chinese painter to be awarded for this prize. In t999, she was awarded the honorary title of World Outstanding Chinese Artist and Worldwide Golden Prize for Chinese. In 2001, her paintings were selected and displayed at the exhibition ＂Chinese Traditional Paintings of the Past 100 Years.＂ She has numerous publications which are listed in Directory of Famous Painters in Modem China and Collection of Chinese Paintings in the Past Century as well as other encyclopedias and large albums of painting. Moreover, several works of her have been collected by National Museum of China, the head office of IBBY in Swiss and other institutions.     

About the Painting "Eulogy of Peace"

The paintings, focusing their motifs on peace and friendship, depict lofty and enchanting land-scapes, richly-colored flowers and grasses, and lively birds, animals, insects and fishes. They inspire alove of nature and life, and a determination to struggle together to safeguard world peace. The largescroll entitled Eulogy of Peace created by a group of renowned Chinese artists led by the great master Qi     

An Enduring Heritage

<正>Ancient paper-making technique remains in use inits birthplaceThe oldest Chinese painting on paper,entitled Five Oxen,is one of the highlights of the art collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.Created by Han Huang,a prime minister during the Tang Dynasty(618-907),the art piece vividly depicts five oxen from various angles.The painting,which is over 1,200 years old,endures because it was painted on Xuan     

Chen Jing ： Artist with a Poetic Palette

The artist Chen Jing graduated from Harbin Normal University＇s Faculty of Art and then went on to study atthe Faculty of Traditional Chinese Painting of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts. She is a member of the China Association of Gongbi Painting, Gongbi is a traditional style of Chinese painting characterized by meticulous attention to detail and delicate brushwork.     

Painting the Soul of the Yangtze River

Chen Kezhi:a prestigious oil painter and a household name in Chinese fine arts circles,is add- ing luster to the cultural prosperity of the country with his artistic efforts.The latest sensation is over his masterpieces of the Three Gorges area.Since 1996,he has devoted himself to the Three Gorges series.These paintings reproduce the original impression of the Three Gorges area that will never be seen again.The paintings deliver the mystic atmosphere of the orient and the majestic scenery of China.Chen recently sat down with Beijing Review reporter Huang Jun to share his views and experience on these masterpieces.