Wu Guanzhong Daring Provocative Appeal Seen In A Monochromatic Palette
One of China’s most prolific artists, Wu Guanzhong took unexciting hues to great heights
Between Black and White showcases Wu Guanzhong’s ink and oil paintings
The Hong Kong Museum of Art is hosting an exhibition of the works of one of the founders of contemporary Chinese painting. Wu Guanzhong: Between Black and White showcases a selection of Wu’s ink and oil paintings accompanied by insightful excerpts from the artist’s writings and his passion for the interplay between black and white.
Wu Guanzhong (1919-2010) is considered one of the founding icons of Chinese paintings. Recognised as one of China’s most enduring and prolific artists, he continued to create artworks to his last decade. Born in a village in Jiangsu province, he pursued art studies at the National Arts Academy of Hangzhou.
His career as an artist flowed with the turbulent times of China. His life in the arts was interrupted by war as well as the changing political climates of the nation. When he graduated, he took on work as an art teacher.
Wu immersed in western European art
His potential talent fully developed when he was awarded a rare national scholarship in 1947, which allowed him to travel and further his studies in France. In this post-war environment, Wu immersed himself in the appreciation of western European art aesthetics.
Related Story Paul Cezanne innovator of modern art
With access to the major galleries and museums full of artworks by legendary masters, he observed the contrast, aspects and creative elements of various art movements and the techniques of great painters.
Wu returned to China in 1950, and from that time onwards and well into the mid-1960s, he was a professor of art, working at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University, Beijing Academy of Fine Arts and Central Academy of Fine Arts and Crafts. During these years, he introduced his students to western art, and he himself transitioned to landscape painting.
During the Cultural Revolution, Wu’s creative pursuits were severely curtailed. He was prohibited from painting and had to destroy many of his own works to protect himself from criticism. In 1970, he was sent to the farmland of Hebei province for hard labour and re-education.
A founding icon of modern Chinese painting
Following those oppressive times, he again began to explore painting with oil, ink and colour on paper, searching for a way to fuse eastern and western art. His works combine traditional Chinese ink’s aesthetics with modern Western art, pioneering the unique Wu studio style and endowing us with a wealth of great classics.
Related Story Modern abstract works Vasily Kandinsky
Wu Guanzhong said, “Were I entrusted to select two Chinese works for an exhibition of international modern art, I would choose a jet-black lacquer panel and a piece of pristine white Xuan paper.”
Wu Guanzhong: Between Black and White
The works in the Between Black and White exhibition are a select body of ink and oil paintings by Wu and reveal the artist’s rediscovery and appeal of a monochromatic palette. Using black, white and grey he took these seemingly unexciting hues to great heights with his expressive and striking application of the media onto the surfaces of canvas and paper, imbuing them with rich connotations encompassing western design and traditional Chinese aesthetics.
The artworks on show are from a period late in his long career. From 1980 onwards, Wu transformed his favourite three colours into the most emotionally resonant and captivating tones.
An enduring connection with Hong Kong
When Wu returned to China, he did so through Hong Kong, which initiated an enduring connection with the city. He visited Hong Kong on many occasions, hosting art exhibitions and attending academic seminars and talks by invitation.
Related Story Astonishing Victoria Harbour Hong Kong
Wu highly-rated Hong Kong’s cultural environment, asserting that Hong Kong was a place of fair and equitable systems where people made practical efforts and valued truth. To him, Hong Kong was a confluence where he could “see both the east and the west at the same time”. It is a quality that can also be found in his art.
A vast collection of Wu Guanzhong artworks and archival
The Hong Kong Museum of Art, established in 1962, is the first public art museum in Hong Kong and the custodian of an art collection with over 19,500 items. The museum is a key centre for modern Chinese paintings and research.
Related Story Pioneering works by Chinese Cuban artist Wifredo Lam
Their vast collection of over 450 Wu Guanzhong artworks and archival items is the largest and most diverse, and most of them were donated by Wu Guanzhong’s family. The artist made it clear that he would leave his best works to the nation and the people.
Generous 100 million establish modern art program
Wu Keyu recently donated HK$100 million to the Hong Kong Museum of Art to further establish and support a series of programmes promoting the art of his father and related modern Chinese art.
The Wu Guanzhong Art Sponsorship Exhibition Series was inaugurated with the Wu Guanzhong: Between Black and White exhibition, one of the Chinese Culture Promotion Series activities.
Text Hong Kong Museum of Art & Cammy Yiu / Photos Cammy Yiu
