For the spring festival of Gengzi, Beijing Fine Art Academy presented “Brilliant Blossoms—Exhibition of Freehand Flower and Bird Paintings from Beijing Fine Art Academy” from January 10th through February 10th. The exhibition focuses on modern freehand paintings of flowers and birds and revitalizes the fine collections of Beijing Fine Art Academy. Nearly 60 treasures from 11 famous artists such as Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi, Chen Banding, Wang Shensheng, Li Kuchan, Wang Xuetao, Cui Zifan, etc. are gathered, which give the audience a glimpse of the circle of freehand flower and bird paintings in China. 

 

　　“Brilliant Blossoms” come from “The Book of Songs ·Zhou Nan· Taoyao”, which means the prosperous flowers. The exhibition takes freehand flowers and birds as the context, and through three sections, “A Place with Fine Spirits of the Universe”, “Red Flowers and Ink Leaves”, and “Bamboo Under the Breeze”, it tells the mainstream appearance of the freehand paintings of flower and bird in the Beijing art circle in the early 20th century; it shows the resolute change of Qi Baishi in his sixties with the great freehand style of red flowers and ink leaves created by Qi Baishi discusses how he reproduced a master’s inheritance path of art.

　　 

　　In recent years, with the systematic and deepening of the research and exhibition work of the Beijing Fine Art Academy, the collection has also paid more attention to the construction of a collection system based on the academic positioning of the Academy: on the one hand, it focuses on the collection of modern masters, and on the other hand, it continues to improve the overall appearance of Beijing-style painters. Beijing Fine Art Academy sorted out the fine collections and selected freehand paintings of flowers and birds as the theme, and displayed numerous works to show the grand view of the epoch. Wu Changshuo’s “Peony and Pomegranate” has a strong and ancient style, and he uses individual brush and ink to create colorful poetry; Chen Banding’s “Zhu Lei Lei” has an elegant and lush picture with a sparse and elegant mood; Qi Baishi’s “Crane” is painted with thick ink, the crane body, dotted with a touch of cinnabar, is auspicious, festive and full of fairy spirit. Li Kuchan’s “Ink and Wash Flowers and Birds” is a calligraphic style, simple and masculine; Wang Xuetao’s “Wisteria and White Pheasant” captures the moment of the white pheasant’s chirping, and has a deep sketch of life; Cui Zifan’s “Morning Dew” gets the essence of Baishi’s freehand brushwork, wandering freely between traditional and the present, reality and romance, concrete and abstract, naive but vigorous...

 

　　In the exhibition, the developments and changes of Chinese freehand flower-and-bird painting are sorted out, aiming to explore the inheritance and innovation of freehand flower-and-bird painting, carry forward the humanistic spirit and poetic connotation contained in traditional paintings, and thus try to provide inspiration for the contemporary art creations. At the same time, this exhibition also explores the freehand spirit of Chinese paintings again after He Jinghan’s freehand pavilions and freehand figure paintings in Ming and Qing dynasties. With endeavors to pass on the most essential spirit and core of Chinese painting, it is presented through multiple exhibitions and interpretations.