The exhibition themed "My Life · My Paintings—He Youzhi's Art Besides Lianhuanhua," jointly sponsored by China Artists Association, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai Art Museum and Beijing Fine Art Academy, is set to open in No.1 & 2 Galleries in the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy on September 11.

 

This marks the third exhibition dedicated to Mr. He Youzhi (1922-2016) at the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy. The first exhibition, "Strips of Retrospect—He Youzhi's Original Lianhuanhua Works," was held in June 2009, when the 87-year-old artist traveled from Shanghai to Beijing for the opening ceremony. He loved aged rice wine, calling it the "nutrient for his life." Therefore, with the suggestion from Wang Mingming, former director of the museum, then director Wu Hongliang prepared fine yellow rice wine for him.

 

He Youzhi at the opening ceremony of "Strips of Retrospect—He Youzhi's Original Lianhuanhua Works"

 

In March 2016, He passed away at the age of 94, leaving behind his wit, humor, wisdom, vivacity, and a jar of rice wine that remained unopened. On November 21, 2016, on He's birthday, "The Wise Artist's World: A Retrospective Exhibition of He Youzhi's Art" opened at the museum, as a way to remember the beloved artist.

A decade has passed fast. This time, what kind of exhibition should we offer based on the previous two exhibitions to present He's rich life experiences and artistic attainments in a more comprehensive manner? 

 

He often said he was just a Lianhuanhua (a kind of Chinese comics) painter. We are familiar with his identity as a Lianhuanhua artist: a native of Xinqi, Beilun, Ningbo, Zhejiang province, born in Shanghai in 1922, he began creating Lianhuanhua in 1949. He once worked at New Arts Publishing House and Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House, and was later seconded to the Central Academy of Fine Arts from 1980 to 1987, where he was appointed adjunct professor in the New Year Picture and Lianhuanhua Department. In his later years, He received the inaugural "China Fine Art Awards • Lifetime Achievement Award." He is widely recognized as a representative figure of modern Chinese Lianhuanhua art.

 

 

"The Old Man Drawing Small Pictures", a self-portrait by He Youzhi

 

However, He was not just a Lianhuanhua artist. He produced many works of other kinds, including cartoons, genre paintings, novel illustrations, and children's books. This is the side of He Youzhi that is not so familiar to many people.
 

When we shifted just a small part of our attention from his Lianhuanhua to his other works, we were surprised to find that the artist was also an exceptionally humorous cartoonist and a genre painter deeply in love with life.

　　

Such discovery opened up our mind for the exhibition. Since we don't want to simply keep repeating a fixed label for him, why not formally introduce to everyone the artist beyond Lianhuanhua?

 

His home at Julu Road in Shanghai was a mere 30-square-meter room, which he jokingly called "a one-room apartment with four functions": when guests came, it was a living room; when a dining table was set up, it became a dining room; when a canvas was spread on the table, it was a studio; and when a curtain was drawn, it turned into a bedroom. He lived there for sixty years. In his own words: "I turned to genre painting naturally and fittingly. Old Shanghai, old alleys, everyday life, and the multiple facets of the world—all of these are in my mind. I can pick up my brush at any time and paint them with ease."
 

 

He Youzhi is painting in his "one-room apartment with four functions"

 

"My Life, My Paintings (Zi Shuo Zi Hua)", which the exhibition is named after, was a column He once opened in the Comic World magazine. It represents his transition from the mode of creating Lianhuanhua following given scripts to original cartoon and genre painting creation. The exhibition features three sections: Baixiang, Yangxiang, and Shixiang. In each section, we can understand something from his artistic language.

 

The first section, Baixiang, featuring the complete set of 54 genre paintings titled "Childhood Games" that He donated to the Beijing Fine Art Academy in 2015. He said: "When I was a kid, I played in the alleys every day, with everything. I don't need to look up references when creating my works. Childhood games are the scenes I know best—so many props, costumes, and experiences—I can remember them all."

 

Rubber Band Skipping, by He Youzhi, 27×17cm

Genre painting, 2012, Collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy

 

The Game of Fight, by He Youzhi, 27×17cm

Genre painting, 2012, Collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy

 

"Baixiang" is a Shanghainese term meaning to stroll, play and have fun. "Childhood Games" is a series of works that He began creating at the age of 90 to recall the games he played in his childhood. The vignettes he portrayed carry the innocence and happiness in his memories, like scenes from an old film that transport the viewers back to an era without electronic entertainment. The works feature children playing various games, like dropping the handkerchief, playing hide-and-seek, building snowmen, having snowball fights, and playing house. A rubber band, a shuttlecock, a broom or even a bench could all become tools for games. The happiness of those days was both simple and pure.

 

Set off Firecrackers, by He Youzhi, 27×17cm

Genre painting, 2012, Collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy

 

Langlang Ma (Broom Horses), by He Youzhi, 27×17cm

Genre painting, 2012, Collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy

 

The second section is about the embarrassing moments He encountered abroad. In 1989, He spent an entire year creating the "My Life, My Paintings" series for the magazine Comic World. With more than 20 sets of cartoons, he recounted amusing incidents from his trips abroad for exchanges and exhibitions. Unlike his previous creations which were based on given scripts, this series boasts both drawings and texts by the artist himself. This time, he told his own stories with his paintings.

 

Stubbornly Persisting, Needlessly Suffering, by He Youzhi, 21×29.5cm

Cartoons, Collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy

 

"De": Pretending to Understand, by He Youzhi, Cartoons, Collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy

 

The third section is "Shixiang," displaying He's depictions of the myriad aspects of the world. He said, "My mind is full of phenomena of the bottom of society, where I came up from. That's why I drew the 'Trades and Professions (Sanbailiushi Hang)'—I've seen all these trades, and understand them more or less." Through his works, we see the varied lives of people at the bottom of society and feel the earthy vitality of everyday life. These works are not merely a set of genre paintings, but the image records of an era and its folk customs.
 

Blow-Drying with a Charcoal Stove, by He Youzhi, 30×27cm

Sketch, Collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy

 

The "Little Books" Stall, By He Youzhi, 30×27cm

Sketch, Collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy

 

The Old Inn, by He Youzhi, 30×27cm

Sketch, Collection of Beijing Fine Art Academy

 

The Great World of the Citizens, by He Youzhi, 98.5×98.5cm

Genre painting, 2013, Collection of Shanghai Art Museum

 

Hua Junwu (1915-2010), a Chinese cartoonist, jokingly called He Youzhi a "Qiyi Jiangjun (literally meaning rebel general)" for his successful shift from Lianhuanhua to cartoons. From September 11 to October 15, we look forward to meeting with you at the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy to explore together how artist He Youzhi told his own stories through his paintings. Come and join us—forget your worries and rediscover childhood joy; shed your fatigue and add flavor to an ordinary life; take a break from the bustle and hustle to immerse yourselves in the artist's stories.
 

About the exhibition

 

 

 

Exhibition: My Life · My Paintings—He Youzhi's Art Besides Lianhuanhua

Time: September 11 - October 15, 2026

Sponsors: China Artists Association, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai Art Museum, and Beijing Fine Art Academy

Organizer: The Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy

Supported by: Memorial Hall of He Youzhi

Venue: No.1 & 2 Galleries, Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy