“Zhou Sicong, Lu Chen Kuanggongtu Series Painting Research Exhibition” which co-hosted by Chinese Artists Association, National Art Museum of China, Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing Artists Association, and Beijing Fine Art Academy will open in the morning of July 29, 2015 in Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy, the exhibition will last to August 31. This exhibition launched in summer has several meanings: first, this exhibition is aimed to commemorate the 70 anniversary of victory of the Chinese Anti Japanese War and the world anti fascist war; second, this exhibition has been chosen to be the project of exhibition season of art museum in China in 2015 of Chinese Ministry of culture; at the same time, this exhibition is the first appearance after Zhou Sicongand Lu Chen's family donating 53 pieces of Kuanggongtu series paintings, manuscripts and documents to the country, the exhibition restores the art styleof the Kuanggongtu at the first time. What’s more, this exhibition is the 36th exhibition of the “Twentieth Century Chinese Artist Series Exhibition” launches by Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy since 2007, and is the important subject of the research of Zhou Sicong and Lu Chen’s art.

A piece of Kuanggongtu records the national history

    Kuanggongtu series paintings are the classic works in the history of Chinese art in twentieth Century, and often be seem as the significant work which expose the aggression after the Refugee created by Jiang Zhaohe. Lu Chen designed the Kuanggongtu at first in 1966, he wanted to make the miners suffering tragic history during the time of the falling of northeast of China as the main line of the creation. Leaving the Hometown is the first painting of the series works, and Taking Charge of the Country is the ending of the series works. But the idea was not be carried out finally because of the conception was not profound enough. After the Cultural Revolution, Zhou Sicong and Lu Chen decided to re-create the Kuanggongtu, this time they wanted to express the tough process of the resistance of Chinese nation and the people, aimed to arouse the thinking of the war disaster, and to call for and pursue the eternal theme of "peace" and "humanity".

    In 1980, Zhou Si Cong and Lu Chen began re-creating Kuanggongtu, in order to express the subject better, they went to Liaoyuan mining area to collect materials, where the old minershad the most profound feeling of the pain of losing country. Zhou Sicong and Lu Chen visited the minerswho survived from the war, and listened them to recall the bitter experiences under the aggression of Japan. They drew a lot of charcoal sketches, captured every important detail, and collected many image materials in the local museum in order to know more about the social environment and background.All these materials are solid foundation of the Kuanggongtu. In this exhibition, we will show the audiences these reference photos and the original materials, and let audiences truly feel the difficult creating process of Kuanggongtu.

The unfinished elegyprays for peace

    The Kuanggongtu series works has nine parts, Zhou Sicong and Lu Chen first collaborated the Fellows, Traitors and Dogs——The fifth work of Kuanggongtu.But soon after, Lu Chen gradually withdrew from the further creation of Kuanggongtubecause of suffering from liver disease, so Zhou Sicong completed the Orphan——The sixth work of Kuanggongtu, Paradise——The first work of Kuanggongtu, Hell——The third work of Kuanggongtuthree works alone. Unfortunately, due to the heavy mental pressure and rheumatoid arthritis, Zhou Sicong had to stop creating Kuanggongtu as well. So this is anunfinished large figure group painting in the history of Chinese painting, and also is an incomplete elegy.

    In this exhibition, we borrow the manuscripts associated with the Kuanggongtu, especially the sketches, first drafts and other materials. We try to present the historical features of Kuanggongtucomprehensively for the first time. For example, just as Zhou Sicong created the women carrying grassesin the Work When Sunrise and Rest When Sunset, Kuanggongtu is undoubtedly the most serious theme in her artistic career. Because of the time and political factors, these series paintings suffered a variety of disputes. We hope tolet more people know the tragic history of China through this exhibition, and continuethe pursuit of happiness and the pray of peace of Zhou Sicongand Lu Chen.

    In today's art creation, we put too much emphasis on the form of worksand neglect the cultural self-confidence and sentiment of artists; we make too many reference of the real scene and forget the infinite variety of Chinese Painting. We hope to be able to feel more real feelings in today's art works, just as the Kuanggongtu created by Zhou Sicong and Lu Chen, every detail in the work is come from their real feelings, they wrote a great song to praise human beauty with their own sweat and even lives, and this is also the root cause of why classical art can move people through different eras.