“Inheritance and Development” Exhibition of Lai Zhigang’s Ink Art

 

 

 

   In the long-standing Chinese culture, Chinese painting is the carrier and disseminator of excellent visual elements. With black and white as the main expression elements, it has been nourished by the traditional Chinese culture for thousands of years, and deeply infused with the cultural spirit of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Over the past dynasties, it has been repeatedly researched and developed by art masters, and refined into an important expressive power of painting art. In the modern society with the rapid advancement of science and technology, it is still a classic representative of Chinese culture in the garden of world art. Through this exhibition, painter Lai Zhigang positively answered this artistic proposition with his long-term efforts and years of artistic accumulation. Many years ago, when I saw Lai's landscape works for the first time in an art exhibition, I was deeply impressed by this excellent painter who is diligent, down-to-earth and full of artistic ideals. The composition of his large-scale landscape paintings is mostly spread horizontally, and the delicate and moist texture of mountains and rocks reveals a stubborn and rigid temperament, which is quite similar to the "axe strokes" of Li Tang in the Southern Song Dynasty. The misty clouds that arise from the mountains and rivers are endowed with momentum and tension by the contrast of pure black and white, showing a majestic and strong atmosphere, which is in tune with the era of the great revival of Chinese civilization and the theme of Chinese cultural self-confidence. Lai has systematically studied painting techniques from Jia Youfu and Li Xiaoke. He has a relatively in-depth understanding of the cultural context in Chinese landscape paintings, especially Mr. Li Keran's landscape paintings, and has contributed to inheriting this style. From his works, we can see the continuation from ancient to modern times. In addition, starting from his years of practice and insights, Lai actively and courageously explored and developed his own unique artistic style. With majestic momentum in the dense and ethereal, Lai’s works prove his persistence, perseverance and efforts in the art of painting, as well as his in-depth research, excavation and grasp of traditional Chinese painting. "Mountains and great rivers are great because they never reject a grain of soil or a drop of water." Adhering to the original intention of art, laying a solid foundation, refining the soul, and innovating on the basis of inheriting the fine traditions are what the China National Academy of Painting has always insisted on. We expect the whole nation, whether as a whole or individually, to make new progress in artistic attainments and aesthetics. We look forward to more artistic practices coming into life, conveying the concepts of humility, tolerance, tenacity, progress, and harmony to every viewer through the works in the exhibition, and educating and enlightening more people with boundless beauty. This is the mission entrusted to us by the times, and it is also the unique beauty of China in the new era. I am very happy to witness the painter Lai Zhigang being a part of this magnificent beauty, and I wish his exhibition a complete success.

 

 

 

Lu Yushun

 

February 2022

 

 

 

Guests At the Opening Ceremony：

 

Lu Yushun, President of China National Academy of Painting

 

Xu Lian, Vice President of China National Academy of Painting

 

Yu Wenjiang, Vice President of China National Academy of Painting

 

Zeng Laide, Former Vice President of China National Academy of Painting

 

Ji Lianbin, Former Vice President of China National Academy of Painting

 

Wu Hongliang, President of Beijing Academy of Fine Arts

 

Shang Hui, Director of the Art theory Committee of the Chinese Artists Association, President and Editor-In-Chief of the Magazine "Art" 

 

Li Baolin, Committee Member of China National Academy of Painting, Famous Painter

 

Li Geng, Dean of Li Keran Academy of Painting, Professor of Kyoto University of Arts, Japan

 

Wang Yong, A Researcher At the Chinese Academy of Arts and A Famous Art theorist

 

Wang Zhong, Former Editor-In-Chief of Art, Famous Art theorist

 

Sun Ke, Former Vice President of the Chinese Painting Society and Famous Art theorist

 

Wang Luxiang, Cultural Scholar and Researcher At China National Academy of Painting 

 

Chen Chuanxi, A Professor At Renmin University of China and A Famous Art theorist

 

Tang Li, A Researcher At the Chinese Academy of Arts and A Famous Painter

 

Fang Tu, Director of the Art Museum of China National Academy of Painting

 

He Jialin, Former Director of the Art Museum of China National Academy of Painting

 

Wang Yongliang, Painter of China National Academy of Painting

 

Wang Fumin, Honorary Director of Figure Painting Institute of China National Academy of Painting

 

Li Xiaozhu, Director of Figure Painting Institute of China National Academy of Painting 

 

Shang Ke, Director of Exchange and Cooperation Department of China National Academy of Painting, Professor of Nanjing University of the Arts

 

Dong Lei, Director of the Innovation and Planning Department of the China National Academy of Painting

 

Zhang Gan, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University 

 

Yu Yang, Professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Deputy Director of the National thematic Art Creation Research Center

 

Chen Ming, Deputy Director of the theoretical Research Institute of China National Academy of Painting 

 

Xu Shuiping, Deputy Director of the Innovation and Planning Department of the China National Academy of Painting

 

Zhang Yuan, Vice President of China Fine Arts News

 

Wang Shili, Famous Painter

 

Li Ming, Calligrapher

 

 

 

Guests At the Seminar ：

 

Wang Yong, A Researcher At the China National Academy of Arts and A Famous Art theorist (Academic Chair) 

 

Sun Ke, Former Vice President of the Chinese Painting Society and Famous Art theorist

 

Wang Zhong, Former Editor-In-Chief of Art, Famous Art theorist

 

Chen Chuanxi, A Professor At Renmin University of China and A Famous Art theorist 

 

Shang Hui, Director of the Art theory Committee of the Chinese Artists Association, President and Editor-In-Chief of Art 

 

Wang Luxiang, Famous Cultural Scholar, Researcher of China National Academy of Painting

 

Wu Hongliang, President of Beijing Academy of Fine Arts

 

Wang Ping, President and Editor-In-Chief of "China Art News"    

 

Zhang Gan, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor of Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University

 

Yu Yang, Professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Deputy Director of the National thematic Art Creation Research Center

 

Chen Ming, Deputy Director of the theoretical Research Institute of China National Academy of Painting

 

Liu Xilin, Famous Art Theorist (Reading the Letter)