Reviews

ART

Monster slice of history

Shi Qi, 69, a renowned painter with the Beijing Academy of Chinese Painting, has unveiled his latest work - a huge hanging scroll, this week in Beijing.

Entitled In the Heyday of the Tang Dynasty (pictured), the colored ink painting is vividly done on a piece of 9-meter-long, 6-meter-high rice paper.

It offers viewers a glimpse of the glamorous court life in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), one of the most prosperous and powerful periods in Chinese history.

"While people are talking about the peaceful rise of China in the 21st century, I can't help but cast my eyes on our glorious past, particularly the Tang Dynasty when China magnetized the whole world," explains the artist, whose painting style is influenced by such masters as Huang Zhou (1925-97) and Liu Haisu (1896-1994).

Finished by the artist after 12 months of strenuous work, the mammoth painting is but the starter of Shi's epic painting series to depict the most revealing historical episodes in history, says Guo Qingxiang, who curates Shi's retrospective show, to be held in late 2008. Zhu Linyong

Healthy kids turn green

The Seventh PHE International Arts Conference for Youths ended on Wednesday in Beijing. PHE refers to peace, health and environment, the themes of the annual gathering for young artists, art educators in primary and junior high schools from home and abroad.

The four-day event was attended by about 300 students, teachers and experts from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, and about 20 foreign countries and regions. Experts and officials from the China Committee for Promoting Art Education (CCPAE) under the Ministry of Education also attended the meeting. ZLY

Jack of all trades

Wu Qi, an artist from East China's Jiangxi Province, is holding his first solo exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in downtown Beijing.

On display are some 50 ink paintings (pictured) the 75-year-old artist has created over the past few decades.

Wu is noted for his training in various styles of Chinese calligraphic art, composition of ancient style Chinese poems, and superb depictions of landscapes and people.

Some of the pieces will be donated to the museum when the exhibition ends on August 26. ZLY

Hammer time

Art works from established Chinese artists as well as emerging young artists will go under the hammer at a large-scale auction to be held this weekend at Beijing's Asian Hotel. A total of 176 works will be on offer during the 2007 Spring Season Auction founded by Beijing International Auction Co Ltd, including pieces by renowned contemporary artist Zhang Fangbai (pictured) as well as young artist Wu Yang. Traditional Chinese paintings and jade and porcelain antiques will also be auctioned. The preview will continue till Friday afternoon.

Wang Ru

(China Daily 08/24/2007 page20)