Aroma of ink
The Chinese term, cuzhi daye, literally meaning thick stems and broad leaves, can also imply carelessness and boorishness. In his 1980 painting, Lotus of Thick Stems and Big Leaves, late ink master Liu Haisu applied bold strokes and smudged color, seemingly in a crude manner, to depict a lotus pool view with vigor and poetic resonance.
The Liu Haisu Art Museum in Shanghai, where Liu lived and worked, on Thursday opened a long-awaited exhibition, Scenting the Trail, surveying his explorations in the flower-and-bird style of classic Chinese painting. Works on show, including Lotus of Thick Stems and Big Leaves, feature ink as well as oil, reflecting Liu's pioneering effort to blend Eastern and Western art traditions.
9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 1609 Yan'an Xi Lu, Shanghai. 021-6270-1018.
Seeking truth
Huang Binhong (1865-1955) traveled to Guangdong province and Hong Kong, in South China, several times seeking inspiration for his ink works. These paintings have returned to where they were conceived, in Shenzhen Art Museum, Guangdong, at Where Truth Resides, an exhibition highlighting Huang's creative dialogues with nature. Nearly 200 works are on show through to Dec 7, from the collection of Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou where Huang spent most of his life.
Considered a pioneer of modern Chinese ink art, Huang drew from the country's diverse landscapes and followed the long-standing practice of learning from nature. At the same time, he sought to reform brushwork in landscape painting, developing a unique style that remains a subject of study for art historians and collectors.
10 am-6 pm, closed on Mondays. 30 Tenglong Lu, Longhua district, Shenzhen, Guangdong province.0755-2806-2004.
Eastern charm
Portraiture of historic figures has become a central focus for the sculptor Li Xiangqun. He spent three years working on Four Masters of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), a group of four figurines of the dynasty's prominent artists — Huang Gongwang, Wu Zhen, Ni Zan and Wang Meng. Using fiberglass, lacquer mixed with pigments, and minimized facial details, the sculptures convey a modernist, minimalist aesthetic.
They are now on view in Oriental New Charm, Art Collections by Tsinghua Professors, at Zero Art Center in Beijing until Sept 21. The exhibition features works of six professors, including Li, of the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University. It features three artists of repute, Du Dakai, Liu Jude and Chen Hui, who push the boundaries of ink art, often incorporating techniques from other media. And it shows Dong Shubing and Ma Wenjia whose sculptures accentuate an Eastern poetic sensibility.
10 am-6 pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Zhongyi Jie Street, 798 Art Zone, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5978-9931.
