At 3:00 pm on November 15, 2014, “Chinese Academy of Oil Painting Academic Studies of Oil Painters Series: Pursuit of Beauty – Wen Lipeng Works Exhibition” opened at the Art Museum of Chinese Academy of Oil Painting, the exhibition is chronologically arranged and presents more than 100 works by Wen Lipeng, to showcase Wen’s creative history from the 1960s to today. It covers Wen Lipeng’s early creations of historical painting, sketches of landscape and people, as well as the creation of mixed media in the last ten years. The exhibition unfolds around the popular historical painting “The Internationale” created in the 1960s by Wen Lipeng, revealing the context of the creation of “The Internationale”, at the same time it presents a large number of manuscripts of the large scale creation, as well as parts of the related subjects, all of them are rare and excellent works, which is a good opportunity for the public to view prized pieces.

We can appreciate the artistic charm of Wen Lipeng through the exhibited works, consistent spiritual pursuitand charm of personality, as Yang Feiyun, the chief curator of the exhibition, Head of Chinese Academy of Oil Painting said in the preface: Wen Lipengis a scholarly artist who has a core spiritual pursuit and distinct artistic characteristics. He is honest and humble, possesses integrity, with an open and above board learning spirit, he is sincerely loyal to art, remaining loyal and faithful, and his art also reveals a consistent quality. Wen Lipeng created a large number of excellent works, giving priority to symbolic historical painting on revolution and large-scale monumental landscapes. All the paintings are in line with his character. His paintings are not defiled by the secular, as the lotus of his painting “Midnight” showcases the noble character that touches pitch butis not being defiled.

His paintings refuse to completely depict, narrate, and copy the objects, but using pure individual feelings to rationally and spiritually express the perception of life and symbolic significance. The rough trees of the paintings are dyed layer by layer like ink painting, rather than the mountain and forest where ancient people expressed their leisurely and carefree mood, standing between the mighty heaven and earth, with a monumental metaphor, showcasing his virile and above board spiritual connotation. It is redundant and tiny when a figure appears in the painting. The thick overlying of colors reveals the thickness of his life history, depth of thinking, strength to explore the language of art, and his profound self-education.

Mr. Wen has been conducting the individual exploration of language materials for decades. The structure of the work is refined and general, he is a persevering expressionist. He uses refined colors, concise sketches, focusing on the performance of emotions. The screen attaches great importance to the solid structure, as if carving inscriptions in metals and stones. A sculptural knife’s chopping and chiseling, compositionby printmaking, anheroism-style temperament and strength, tough and tensile symbolic significance constitute the distinct personal style of Wen Lipeng.

On November 10, 2014

Chinese Academy of Oil Painting

About the Artist

Wen Lipeng was born in Xishui, Hubei Province in October 1931. He graduated from the Postgraduate Class of Oil Painting, CAFA in 1963. From 1978 to 1983 he was the Deputy Director of the Department of Oil Painting, CAFA and appointed as the Director of the Department of Oil Painting, CAFA in 1983 going through to 1991. He has received the State Council special allowance since 1993. Currently he is a professor at CAFA, the adviser and researcher of the Institute of Oil Painting, China National Academy of Painting; He was the former Deputy Director of the Oil Painting Art Committee of China Artists Association, Vice Chairman of China Oil Painting Society.

About the exhibition

Exhibition Title: Chinese Academy of Oil Painting Academic Studies of Oil Painters Series: Pursuit of Beauty – Wen Lipeng Works Exhibition

Duration: November 15- November 29, 2014

Opening Ceremony: at 15:00 on November 15, 2014

Venue: Art Museum of Chinese Academy of Oil Painting

Chief Curator: YangFeiyun

Host: Chinese Academy of oil Painting Affiliated to the China National Academy of Arts

Organizers: Art Museum of Chinese Academy of Oil Painting, Exhibition Hall of Chinese Academy of Oil Painting

Supporters: CAFA Art Museum, Shandong Inzone Art Museum, Dadu Museum of Art

Text by Zhu Li, translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO

Photo by Yang Yanyuan/CAFA ART INFO