On March 9, 2015, “Pursuit of Excellence: Artists from the Academy–The First Invitational Exhibition of Oil Painting” nationwide touring exhibition moved to Hangzhou, to debut in MCACAA. In addition to adding a part for well-known teachers of CAA to the exhibition, it also selected outstanding students from each teacher to participate in the exhibition, which injects fresh blood into the exhibition. At the same time, the discussion entitled “The Touring Discussion of the Academy of Oil Painting” is held at the same time. The discussion will undertake a discussion of the contents of the Chongqing show, and will further discuss the innovative topic of the contemporary academy of oil painting. It invited honored guests including famous domestic art critics, representatives of the oil painting teaching of CAA and cultural celebrities to attend which unfolded into a relaxed conversation. They actively proposed suggestions in the discussion, commonly looking forward to the future of the academy of oil painting.

This series of exhibitions is hosted by the Chinese Culture Management Association Artists Committee at the Ministry of Culture, supported by CAFA, organized by Beijing Huafangdesheng Culture Investment Management Co., Ltd, planned by Beijing Dayuntang Art Organization. The famous art theorist Shao Dazhen serves as the Academic Director and Director of the Academic Committee, Fan Di’an, Xu Jiang, Luo Zhongli, Wei Ershen, Deng Guoyuan, Liu Weidong serve as the Academic Coaches, critics Wang Yong and Yin Shuangxi serve as Deputy Directors of the academic committee, the famous artists, critics and insiders make up the academic committee, to strictly control the participating artists and works, in order to ensure the academic level of the exhibition.

It is a diversified presentation of teaching, creation and thinking of art propositions by artists from the contemporary academies in China. It features more than 200 oil paintings by more than 100 young and middle-aged artists from nationwide professional art colleges, collectively showcasing the strong teaching power and latest creative achievements of the artists considered as the backbone and youths from the field of oil painting in contemporary Chinese academies. The artists include mentors from the oil painting disciplines of well-known art academies across the country, as well as recommended young artists. Most of the teachers are considered the backbone of trans-century professional teaching of oil painting, budding in the early years of the reform and opening up in China, while some of them have become the leaders of the contemporary Chinese academy of oil painting, both laying a solid foundation on realism in oil painting, and of multivariate innovation and open consciousness, boldly trying many styles of oil painting including realism, expressionism, surrealismand abstract art that deeply influences their students. Most of the young artists graduated from the oil painting disciplines of the art academies at the end of the 20th century and the early 21st century, accepted the rigorous training in plastic art with the use of drawing in the academy, while enjoying a more relaxed environment and more open international vision, being more direct and sensitive to the experience of contemporary youth, the creative style of oil painting is more diverse, of a more youthful vitality and innovative spirit. Although there is a difference of age between the teachers and youths, there is no insurmountable gap, their works in oil painting all reveal the spirit of the present social change as China is transforming into a modern society from a traditional one, as well as the updating of the artistic conception in line with the spirit of the time and the expanding of artistic language.

“Pursuit of Excellence: Artists from the Academy – the First Invitational Exhibition of Oil-Painting” is part of the “The Pursuit of Excellence” series of exhibitions planned by Dayuntang Art organization, it is alarger scale exhibition than the “Pursuit of Excellence – 2014 Sino-French Young Oil Painters Exchange Exhibition” held in Paris in March, 2014. The exhibition themed “The Pursuit of Excellence” reflects that Dayuntang always adheres to the academic position: both in pursuit of the excellence of artistic language, and the excellence of spiritual character. This exhibition shows the backbone of art and youthful art in the field of oil painting in contemporary Chinese academies which pursues both the excellence of artistic language and the excellence of spiritual character.

It is a nationwide series of exhibitions, starting in Shanghai in November 2014, at present it is featured in Hangzhou and then tours to Guangzhou, Xi’an, Nanjing and Beijing until December 2015.

About the exhibition

Opening:2:00 pm on March 9, 2015

Duration: March 9 -- March 20, 2015

Academic Discussion: 3:30 pm -5:30 pm on January 9, 2015

Venue: MCACAA (218 Nanshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province)

Tour Cities: Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Beijing

Courtesy of the artists and MCACAA, translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO