Tuesday, September 18, 2018 17 LIFE DAILY HONG KONG EDITION

From left: Robust and Vigorous Landscape by Yuanqi; Shadows of Paulownia Trees in the Autumn Evening by ; After the Spirit of the Four Yuan Masters by ; and Autumn Mountains and White Clouds by . PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY CIRCLE OF FOUR An exhibition is showing important works of some artists who shared the same surname and aesthetic style, Wang Kaihao reports.

t may seem like a coinci­ tion hall to recreate the simple Dynasty was because of the dence, but Chinese yet elegant atmosphere pre­ huge sway they held in the painting circles during ferred by the literati. imperial palace. For instance, the early Qing Dynasty “Sitting there and watching Wang Hui’s painting Southern I(1644­1911) were dominated the ’ paintings, it Inspection Tour (Nanxun Tu) They venerated the by four artists sharing the feels like being in a water town featured a grand procession of same surname. in southern China (where the . literati styles of Wang Shimin, Wang Jian, artists came from),” Tian Yimin, Some of their students were Wang Hui and , curator of the exhibition, says. later hired as court painters, southern China who are colloquially referred “They venerated the literati and were favored by the to by Chinese historians as the styles of southern China and emperors, who labeled their and stressed the “Four Wangs”, shared similar stressed the imitation of works as “orthodox”. artistic styles and enjoyed sta­ ancient and classical styles Nevertheless, this connec­ imitation of tus in the art world at that and techniques,” she says. tion with the imperial court time. Many paintings by earlier once made some critics ancient and They also were associated artistic icons are also includ­ doubt the real artistic value with each other through educa­ ed in the exhibition, including of work of the Four Wangs. In classical styles and tional or familial connections. works by the late Qing Dynasty, prices techniques.” An exhibition started last and Ni Zan from the Yuan of their works rocketed in week at the Hall of Literary Dynasty (1271­1368) as well as antique markets, which were Tian Yimin, exhibition curator Glory in the Palace Museum in from the Ming ridiculed by people at that Beijing looking back at their Dynasty (1368­1644) — which time. achievements by displaying served as inspiration for the “All these rights and wrongs work for scholars. Some 277 around 110 pieces of their later four artists. Several A visitor at the ongoing exhibition in the Palace Museum in Beijing. The display has around 110 have passed,” Tian says. pieces — including Southern highlighted works. works by their predecessors artworks by the “Four Wangs” of the early Qing Dynasty (1644­1911). JIANG DONG / CHINA DAILY “What’s important for us is to Inspection Tour — have never The Four Wangs’ Paintings are juxtaposed by works by take aesthetic enjoyment from been publicly published of the Early Qing Period Col­ the Four Wangs for compari­ their individual legacies.” before. lected by the Palace Museum son. artistic styles back to the 10th nature, as exemplified in his painting, Robust and Vigorous The Palace Museum now “An exhibition is also an runs through Oct 30. This said each of the four century and excelled in both work, Shadows of Paulownia Landscape. houses over 800 works by opportunity to promote relat­ As the former imperial pal­ artists has their own standout monochrome and polychrome Trees in the Autumn Evening. Unlike many literati paint­ these artists, the largest num­ ed academic research,” Shan ace, the is characteristics. ink works as well as color And Wang Yuanqi ers in ancient China, who lived ber of any museum in the Jixiang, director of the Palace famed for its grandiose and Wang Shimin (1592­1680) is paintings. (1642–1715), who was also the their lives as virtual hermits world. Museum, says. “It can also ostentatious aura, but the red known for his own rigorous Wang Hui (1632–1717) com­ grandson of Wang Shimin, and shunned politics, the Four Nearly 700 of such works raise public awareness about columns in the Hall of Literary technique and elegant style. bined elements from works by was a master of textural shad­ Wangs’ destiny was quite dif­ were included in a 10­volume traditional fine art.” Glory were painted a lighter The exhibit, Autumn Moun­ masters from both southern ing and famed for his vigorous ferent. panoramic album of works color more conducive to a gal­ tains and White Clouds, is his and northern China and brushwork and ruminant The curator explains that by the artists, which was Contact the writer at lery setting, while a pavilion best­known work. Wang Jian infused his paintings with compositions, which is proba­ one of the reasons why they published on Tuesday to offer wangkaihao@ was also set up in the exhibi­ (1609–1677) traced certain detailed observations of bly best highlighted in his were so revered in the Qing a more detailed reference chinadaily.com.cn Chinese artist’s view of African art theme of Beijing display

By DENG ZHANGYU adding that it’s the African [email protected] If you go sculptures that inspired West­ ern masters such as Henri Two years ago when Mus­ Matisse and Pablo Picasso. 10 am­7 pm, through quiqui Chihying went to Togo Chiyhing went to Berlin Oct 28. Ullens Center for he was surprised to find that University of the Arts in 2010 Contemporary Art, the first museum of African art for his master’s degree in fine 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, he visited in the country was arts. He says as a member of a Chaoyang district, Beijing. established by a Chinese col­ generation that grew up in the 010­57800200. lector, which evoked the visual era of globalization, like some artist’s interest in Sino­African of his peers in China, he often history. focuses on issues facing the The Taiwan native, who’s National Museum of China in world in his works. family name is Peng but the 2000s, Chihying has also “Art has no nationality,” he doesn’t use it in public, gives tried to show Sino­African Screen shots from artist Musquiqui Chihying’s (right) short video The Sculpture, which is on display at his Beijing show featuring videos, says. himself the name Musquiqui exchanges through short vid­ photos and installations on Sino­African ties. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY For the past few years, Chiy­ Chihying. Living both in Taipei eos made with documentary hing’s works have mainly and Berlin, he is presenting his techniques. focused on Africa. Earlier this take on the subject with an “Some stories in my works Chihying “made up” a story institutions,” he says. inspiration from Chinese col­ While Xie collected sculptures year, he was invited to take exhibition in Beijing. are not real but imagined, based about Zhou often eating at the Chihying has made an art­ lector Xie Yanshen’s private and donated them to his moth­ part in a film festival in Niger­ The ongoing show that on facts,” Chihying, 35, says. restaurant for the video. work inspired by five buildings museum in Togo’s capital erland, the European muse­ ia with his video works. began on Aug 25, displays vid­ In his 15­minute video, The In his installation, Culture related to culture that were Lome that shows African art ums are planning to return Chihying says Western art­ eos, photos and installations. Guestbook, the artist films his Center, he has reimagined a built in Africa by Chinese com­ collected from across the conti­ African sculptures looted dur­ ists and scholars have done From (1368­ Togolese friend visiting three set of coins that celebrates panies, including theaters and nent. From 2007 to 2011, Xie ing the colonial era. Some Brit­ research on their own art, as 1644) explorer Zheng He’s voy­ locations in Berlin with past Sino­African ties, which was museums, he says. On a side of donated about 5,000 pieces of ish museums have “loaned” well as African and Asian art, age to what now is Kenya to associations — one of which is inspired by his visit to some this artwork he has drawn five African wooden sculptures to artifacts to museums in Niger­ but these two branches are China’s late premier Zhou a massage parlor, which used museums and theaters built animals considered auspicious the National Museum of China. ia instead of returning them. still marginalized compared Enlai’s diplomatic visits to 10 to be the site of an early Chi­ by Chinese companies. in Chinese mythology, such as The donation is now part of “African sculptures can offer with Western art. African states in the 1960s and nese restaurant near which “Chinese companies not the turtle and the carp. permanent exhibitions at the another perspective in under­ He hopes to bring an Asian a Chinese collector’s donation Zhou had stayed during a visit only help build roads in Africa, His other two artworks, The national museum for Chinese standing world history as well perspective to African Art, he of African sculptures to the to the German city in 1923. they also help build cultural Mask and The Sculpture, draw to learn about African art. as art history,” says Chihying, says.