It is the one hundredth anniversary of the famous artist, art educator, and former Vice President of CAFA Luo Gongliu’s birth, to commemorate the art predecessor who had made remarkable contributions to the revolutionary art career, the innovative career of oil painting and educational career of art, the large-scale exhibition “The Road of Innovative Pioneer–Memorial Exhibition for the One Hundredth Anniversary of Luo Gongliu’s Birth” grandly opened on March 29, 2016. The exhibition is sponsored by CAFA, greatly supported by the Ministry of Culture, and China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, co-organized by the National Museum of China, National Art Museum of China, China Artists Association, China Academy of Art, Zhejiang Huamao Museum of Art Education, Beijing Lu Xun Museum (Beijing Memorial of New Culture Movement) and Luo Gongliu’s family. The exhibition is the first time to present nearly 400 artworks and a large amount of literature, to comprehensively present the art process of Luo Gongliu “working for people throughout his life”, to prominently reflect the innovative spirit in the process of the exploration in the development of Chinese oil painting.

The exhibition curator, President of CAFA Fan Di’an gave a wonderful speech at the opening ceremony, and he thought that Luo Gongliu was at the peak in the development of Chinese art in the 20th century, his art life was closely connected with the development of the times, his artistic thought was closely combined with people’s feelings, his works of art created in different periods reflected the revolutionary literary ideal and manifested in the bright cluster of the spirit of the times, he marked the development of the Chinese artistic mainstream. He was a key feature in the transition of the art education, especially the education of oil painting, accumulating in the important experiences of the cultivation of art talents for CAFA.

At the opening ceremony, the former President of CAFA Jin Shangyi recalled the experience of Luo Gongliu, together with him, they went to Jinggang Mountain to collect materials for the creation of “One Steps into the Breach as Another Falls”, “Chairman Mao in the Jinggang Mountain”, Jin signed with emotion thus honouring the artistic talent of Luo Gongliu, the two works do not only perfectly showcase the revolutionary history and content, but also perfectly combine Chinese culture, to realize the exploration and innovation of artistic language. Prof. Quan Shanshi from the China Academy of Art, together with Luo Gongliu, he studied the art of oil painting in the former Soviet Union, and Quan thought that Luo Gongliu influenced a generation of artists, first of all, his artistic value and the view of life indicated the path for young people of the time, in addition, he dared to innovate in art, which did not only embody his creation, but also his teaching. President of China Academy of Art Xu Jiang addressed the opening ceremony and refined the art innovation of Luo Gongliu which included: stretching it through the advantages of the West, transforming it with the Oriental spirit.

The commemorative exhibition is divided into five parts: In the Battle Front, Creating for New China, Oversea Study and Research in the Former Soviet Union, Chinese Oil Painting Had to Go Its Own Way and Evergreen the Color of the Luo Gongliu, taken the time as the clue to comprehensively research the artistic course of Luo Gongliu, as well as the prominent contribution for the development of Chinese art in different historical stages, in addition, through a lot of literature thus presents a real and clear image of Luo Gongliu. The exhibition collectively presents Luo Gongliu’s representative works collected by the National Museum of China and National Art Museum of China, such as the acquainted “Tunnel Warfare”, “Mao Zedong Made a Rectification Report in Yan’an”, “Chairman Mao in the Jinggang Mountain”, “Ma Benzhai’s Mother”, “Rhymes of Li Youcai”, etc., in addition, it is the first time for a display of the creative drafts of “Tunnel Warfare” and so on.

The exhibition is also part of the academic research plan for the “Hundreds Years of Glory–CAFA Masters”, to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of CAFA, to remember the art life of his predecessor, and carry forward the glorious artistic tradition, studying the artistic spirit of the predecessor, to promote the innovative development of teaching, creation and scientific research of the academy under new circumstances. On the afternoon of March 29, the old, middle-aged, young artists and students participated in a teaching and academic discussion entitled “The Road of Innovative Pioneer–Memorial Exhibition for the One Hundredth Anniversary of Luo Gongliu’s Birth” directed by the Department of Oil Painting.

The exhibition remains on view till May 3.

Text by Zhang Wenzhi, Photo by Hu Sichen/CAFA ART INFO

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

About Luo Gongliu?

Luo Gongliu (1916-2004), well-known modern Chinese painter, printer, art educator, he was born in Kaiping in Guangdong province. He studied in the National Hangzhou Art School. During the Anti-Japanese War, he participated in the Anti-Japanese propaganda activities at the 3rd office of the Political Department in Wuhan, and he went to Yan’an in 1938, and studied in Lu Xun Academy of Art and Literature, and went deep into the Anti-Japanese base in the enemy’s rear area together with the “Woodcut Working Crew of Lu Xun Academy of Art and Literature”, and was in charge of the art work of “Xinhua Daily (North China Edition)”. After the victory of the war, he has successively taught in the University of the North and North China University. In the early days of new China, he participated in the founding of CAFA, the former deputy secretary of the academy. In 1952, along with “Chinese Literary and Art Workers Battlefield Visiting Mission” he went to the frontline of the Korean War. In 1953, he participated in “Maijishan Exploratory Mission” to study Maijishan grotto art, organized by the Ministry of Culture. Luo went to the former Soviet Union to study oil painting in the Repin Academy of Fine Arts from 1955 to 1958. CAFA first created the studio system of oil painting in 1959, and Luo directed the teaching of “Luo Gongliu Studio”, which was renamed the 2nd Studio of the Department of Oil Painting in 1960. From 1961 to 1963, he directed the teaching of the tutorial class of oil painting. From 1950 to 1985, Luo Gongliu was appointed as the leader of the design group of Renminbi, organized and personally involved in the design work of the second, third, fourth sets of Renminbi, which had an important influence on the world. He was a late professor, former Vice President of CAFA,former Secretary of the Secretariat at China Artists Association, former Standing Director of China Artists Association. In 2003, he was awarded the achievement award of plastic arts by the Ministry of Culture.

Luo Gongliu was mainly engaged in the creation of printmaking in the early years, his works reflected the life and struggle of the military and civilians in the Anti-Japanese Base, the representative works include: “If I Do Not Die, the Devil Will Die”, “Rhymes of Li Youcai”, “Ma Benzhai’s Mother”, etc. After 1949, he mainly created oil paintings and his paintings mainly portray Chinese revolutionary historical themes, and he made a contribution to develop Chinese oil painting, his masterpieces include the “Tunnel Warfare”, “Mao Zedong Made a Rectification Report in Yan’an”, “One Steps into the Breach as Another Falls”, “Chairman Mao in the Jinggang Mountain”, which are in the collections of National Museum of China. Luo Gongliu was involved in a long term project on the work of art education, and synchronously directed the teaching work of the tutorial class of oil painting hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Luo GongliuStudio at the Department of Oil Painting, CAFA. His artistic ideas and teaching methods were implemented in the tutorial class of oil painting and had a widespread influence on the creation and teaching of? oil painting in China, and he trained a group of outstanding artistic talents.