On September 3, 2013, “Wei Qimei’s Drawing Courses” was officially inaugurated in the CAFA Art Museum. The exhibition is jointly planned by Prof. Yu Ding, Tang Bin, Deputy Curator of CAFA Art Museum, to feature nearly 300 drawings of Wei Qimei which will be the largest drawing exhibition of the artist.

The exhibition is divided into five parts: Firstly, drawing: a special method to research the world. Secondly, featuring philosophy instead of illustration. Thirdly, it’s in need of brewing and improvisation. Fourthly, focusing on the whole and the detail. Fifthly, climbing, but not to enjoy the limelight. “Wei Qimei’s Drawing Courses” exhibition aims to restore the historical scenarios of Wei Qimei’s drawing courses, to feature Wei’s usual drawing ideas, and the representative works of Wei and his students’ drawings. It makes use of a diversified exhibiting style for the combination of works, files, objects, videos, which blends informative and interesting elements of the courses, three-dimensionally displayed.

“Twentieth-Century Artists Case Study” – Wei Qimei

The press conference opened at 15:00, and was presided over by Tang Bin, Deputy Curator of CAFA Art Museum, Prof. Yu Ding, Deputy Dean of the School of Humanities, CAFA, Wang Huangsheng, Curator of CAFA Art Museum addressed to the artist.

Prof. Yu Ding said: As a key position in the study the history of art, CAFA has already completed a great deal of related research in combing through the history of art during the 20th century. During the writing of the history of Chinese art in the 20th century, missing cases often occurred. Therefore, as the study of the history and artistic history, “case exhibition” of artists played a foundational role in the position of an artist of the times, and combing through the history of art in the 20th century. The first part demonstrated the related documents including manuscripts, syllabus, and papers, etc., written for by the artist during drawing courses since the 1950s. The second part focused on the drawing works by Wei, in addition to that it also included a video interview.

Wang Huangsheng told the audience that he knew Wei Qimei as early as in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when he saw Wei’s works “Road” and “Sky” etc., in the “Art Magazine”, he was heavily impressed by his way of grasping the sense of form and color, as well as the color which was produced to close a graphic painting and with a sense of humor. Wang also said, from the “National Beiping Art School” to “Wei Qimei’s Drawing Courses” of today, CAFA Art Museum has paid a lot of attention to the work of the case study of the artistic history during the 20th century. In addition, it was the 90th birthday for Wei Qimei, where the exhibition was an expression of the infinite memory to the artist.

“Climb, But Not to Enjoy the Limelight”

“Wei Qimei’s Drawing Courses” were officially inaugurated, which was presided over by Wang Huangsheng, Curator of CAFA Art Museum, while Pan Gongkai, President of CAFA, Yu Ding, Deputy Dean of the School of Humanities, Zhao Mingyi, wife of Wei Qimei all spoke, Tan Ping and Xu Bing, Vice Presidents of CAFA, Su Xinping, Dean of the School of Plastic, CAFA, Gao Tianxiong, Director of the Basic Department of the School of Plastic, CAFA, Tang Bin, Deputy Curator of CAFA Art Museum, as well as Su Gaoli, Yang Xianrang, Wu Biduan, Weng Naiqiang, etc., were invited to present at the opening ceremony.

Pan Gongkai said: On the 90th birthday of Wei Qimei, we had a systemized combing through and review of the achievement of Wei Qimei’s study and the teaching of drawing, which was not only a commemoration for Wei Qimei, but also inherited and carried forward the tradition of CAFA. Wei was an important educator in the history of new China, once teaching in the National Beiping Art School and CAFA, engaging in basic drawing courses for thirty years. In addition, Wei had written a lot of teaching articles and notes, which were not only important historic materials to study during Wei’s drawing courses, but also the foundation documents to study the basic teaching of CAFA in the 20th century.

Curator Yu Ding said: “Climb, but not to enjoy the limelight” was an usual discourse, cited from “Review Drawing” written by the artist, and also a portrayal of his behavior, life and art.

Photographer Weng Naiqiang said, Mr. Wei advocated the discovery during life, sentiment in life, rather than subjective imagination and “production” like a concept and slogan, which has helped him when he worked in painting and photography later on.

About the exhibition

Opening Dates: September 3 – September 22, 2013

Host: CAFA

Organizer: CAFA Art Museum

Curator: Yu Ding, Tang Bin

Curatorial Assistants: Li Sha, Jiang Tong, Dong Na

Visual Design: Li Yue

Graphic Design: Yi Yi

Journalist: Yu Ya, Photograph: Hu Zhiheng/CAFA ART INFO

Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO