'Melodies of the Peaks' on Display at Sculpture Park
"New Melodies of the Unusual Peaks," a solo exhibition of veteran artist Yu Zhongbao, is on show at the Art Center of Shanghai Jing'an Sculpture Park.
The exhibition covers Yu's art career of over 50 years with nearly 80 paintings.
Born in 1962 in Shanghai, Yu is regarded as one of the leading contemporary Chinese oil painters in the nation. A graduate of the Oil Painting Department at East China Normal University, Yu was deeply passionate about mastering Western oil painting techniques to portray Chinese subjects, capturing the essence of traditional Chinese artistry.
He previously studied figure painting under the mentorship of Chen Yifei (1946-2005), a well-known Chinese artist.
He rose to fame through his depiction of Tibetan landscape, people and old Shanghai scenes in the 1980s. The artist has participated in many domestic and international art exhibitions.
In 2017, he was invited to serve as an international judge for the United Nations' Boundless International Art Exhibition. The 135th International Salon des Artistes Indépendants, Grand Palais, in Paris, featured one of his paintings in 2020.
This exhibition is divided into two parts – "Fire Entwined" and "Vast Mist-Veiled Mountains."
"Fire Entwined," a massive 7.2-by-2-meter work, is the exhibition's highlight. It was inspired by Icelandic volcanoes and Eastern philosophy's "wood fuels fire." His epic painting blends nature's power, history and civilization.
Visitors might find the artist's attempt to reinterpret traditional Chinese landscape paintings in "Vast Mist-Veiled Mountains" intriguing.
Transcending the conventions of Western Impressionism, Yu employs oil paints to capture the majestic grandeur characteristic of Chinese long-scroll paintings.
Through his distinctive brushwork and color palette, he creates a realm where form and spirit merge, evoking a sense of solemn sublimity.
"Some viewers wondered which mountain I had painted in my works," Yu said. "In recent years, I travelled multiple times to the Yellow Mountain. For me, the mountain is both a cultural and artistic emblem.
"The Chinese painting master, Liu Haisu (1896-1994), visited the Yellow Mountain 10 times. But rather than reproducing what is right in front of my eyes, I am painting the Yellow Mountain from my thoughts."
Yu's paintings are deeply steeped in the ancient Chinese aesthetic, striking a careful balance between the realistic and the abstract, culminating in a distinct style that is warm and radiant with an Eastern touch through oil.
Date: Through January 18, 10am-5pm (closed on Mondays)
Venue: Art Center of Shanghai Jing'an Sculpture Park
静安雕塑公园艺术中心
Address: 500 Beijing Road W.
北京西路500号
Admission: Free
