驚濤拍岸

－－潘鴻海

“WINGS” Chen Manqian Retrospective Exhibition

Curator: Li Nan

Opening: Fri.31th Dec. 2010. 3:00pm

Duration: 31th Dec.2010---30th Jan. 2011

Addres: No.2, Lane 134, Xinle Road, Xuhui District Shanghai

Chen Manqian (1932-2008）was born in Hangzhou. She was graduated from East China Branch of China Central Academy of Fine Arts(now is know as The China Academy of Art),5-years Oil Painting major.

In addition to painting, Ms. Chen devoted herself to studding Chinese painting.She had her own unique style, good at using literature vision to expand creative and inventive in painting. her works were exhibited in the mainland, Taiwan, Hongkong, some of them got awarded and collected.Ms. Chen was painter of Chinese painting Institute of Municipal CPPCC, Association of Poetry & Painting of Provincial CPPCC. Deputy Secretary-General of Provincial Association of Female Flower-and-bird Painting, Executive Committee and Secretary-General of Alumni Art Institute of East China Branch of the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

Exhibition Introduction

I had a conversation with several charming ladies who were in simple but elegant dress at an art exhibition a few years ago. One of them was Chen Manqian, classmate of Chen Daqing. Chen Daqing was my teacher when I majored in Painting at China Academy of Arts. That is to say, Chen Manqian also should be my teacher.

In the following years I met her often in the art assembly, exhibition, shaking hands, a few words of greeting, but no further talking. But I paid more attention to her arts when exhibited. After all, she is a classmate of teacher Daqing. The impression of her works is unpretentious, sincere and interesting.

Looking through the graduates from China Academy of Arts in the past eight decades, the number in the fifties was small, especially in oil painting. And for various reasons, numbers of people who engaged in painting was less. They worked as worker, peasant, editor, secretary, political commissar in the principle of faithful obedience. When they done these jobs and go back to painting, they are getting old. Ms. Chen Manqian is just one of them who are dedicated to the art in the entire life.

Today, pictures of her paintings are placed on my desk. I am studying and thinking are they ordinary pieces of painting? But seems not, I found the feeling of sanctity and renascence.

After graduation, Chen Manqian has been engaged in film and television work. Film and television is an integrated arts, to a person who has professional painting skills, This line of business is not claimed to be shifted. Large numbers of outstanding directors, actors all have experience of painting. the artist has more challenges in the film field. In my opinion, Ms. Manqian’s practice in film and television industry is the accumulation of her own artistic accomplishments. It’s not about a shift, but a different platform for artistic practice.

Now, she is with her own art practice and artistic accomplishment, engaging in painting, this is a return. Her works is about her understanding of nature, expressing pure spirituality and sentiment. In the modern times, art is a pluralistic age. There is more skills and options. No need to judge art with one certain standard. But there is one point we cannot ignore, that is the feeling, prospect of the painting. I pay attention to this when I enjoy her works. Because these are the spirituality, essence and charming of art. Ms. Manqian’s works have their own unique personal characters and with a ability to capture beauty under the impact of visual arts. From this point, Ms. Manqian’s ink painting and oil painting will get the readers’ appreciation to art enhanced.

In the last century there was a poem “Phoenix Nirvana” written by Guo Moluo. Although researchers argue that the words are the old man’s own fiction. But after all everyone thinks that it is the meaning of reborn, return, beauty and sublimity. Ms.Manqian’s personal art collections are not thick, but it is agglutination of artistic accomplishments for many years. This is art “Nirvana”.

A philosopher said that art is evergreen trees. Yes, to the artist who has passion, she is evergreen.

------By Pan Honghai