Since the May Fourth Movement and the New Culture Movement, Chinese ink painting has undergone a profound transformation from “literati painting” to “humanistic painting”. After more than a century of accumulation and exploration, the research and creation of Chinese painting has continued to advance with the times, pushing out new ideas and developing several conceptual categories and styles such as “traditional ink painting”, “modern ink painting”, “new Chinese painting”, “new literati painting”, and “contemporary ink painting”. It has greatly enriched the academic connotations and aesthetic value of Chinese painting art. Facing the new era, on the one hand, Chinese painting has continued to explore the traditional Chinese artistic spirit and sought the integration and unity of nationality and internationality. On the other hand, Chinese painting has expanded the boundaries of ink painting and presented new possibilities for in-depth exploration and diversity.
Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Paintings by Famous Artists is jointly held by the National Museum of China, the China Artists Association, and the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. It not only focuses on fitting traditional Chinese ink painting into the contemporary cultural context, but also embodies the observation and absorption of traditional aesthetic connotations based on the criteria of “style” and “realm”. This exhibition systematically displays nearly 100 Chinese paintings by 38 famous contemporary painters. These paintings with novel themes and various techniques reflect the painters’ deep feelings and courage to actively absorb the nourishment from the spirit of traditional Chinese culture and create new styles of Chinese painting in the new era. These works also display the artists’ thinking and expectations for the innovative development of Chinese painting.
We sincerely hope that this exhibition can guide audiences to feel the unique charm, aesthetic and spiritual connotations of contemporary Chinese painting. We also hope that it can encourage more literary and art workers to take root in the people, delve deep into daily life, create a large number of masterpieces that have their finger on the pulse of society and reflect the spirit of the times, and make new and greater contributions to enhancing cultural confidence and developing a strong socialist culture in China.