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Birds and flowers you want to touch
By Wang Jie |
September 26, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FLOWER-AND-BIRD paintings on rice paper are almost a cliche, but artist Wu Minmin infuses the ancient subject with his own realistic brushwork, making the birds come alive. Viewers want to reach out and touch their textured feathers.
"I like birds. They are the spirit of nature, and I want to retain them forever in my paintings," says Wu, who was sent to the countryside for "reeducation" as a young city boy. There, he appreciated nature and came to love birds and flowers.
An exhibition of Wu's latest flower and bird paintings is underway at the Shanghai Art Salon on Julu Road.
Unlike many painters who mostly work in their studios, 54-year-old Wu describes himself as a "playboy" who likes playing mahjong, drinking coffee with pretty women and enjoying the best food in town.
"Frankly, I am not a diligent person in art. I only paint when I'm in the mood," Wu says.
But his fine brushwork and traditional realistic style set Wu's work apart from that of other traditional ink-wash painters.
"It's quite difficult to achieve the special elegance and perspective in bird-and-flower paintings but unwittingly and fortunately, I seem to possess that ability," he says.
Wu studied fine brush painting when he was young under masters such as Xie Zhiliu and Jiang Hanting.
He belongs to the generation that experienced tumult in China during the anti-intellectual "cultural revolution" (1966-76), when urban young people were sent to the countryside to learn from farmers. It was known as "reeducation."
Later, Wu was able to study in Japan when China adopted an open-door policy in the 1980s.
"I have savored different flavors in life, which enables me to look at the world with a more tolerant heart," the artist says. "You can imagine the feelings of a city boy sent to do manual labor in the countryside. But I am not a pessimistic person and I tried to have fun. I observed the birds, caught turtles and frogs and cooked delicious meals for myself."
Looking back at those "wild and free days," he sounds nostalgic, saying he wishes urban young people today could have that experience.
In addition to rice paper, Wu also paints on silk or gilded paper, to give his works a different ambience.
"I paint each work quite slowly, because for me it is a process of self-nurturing, somewhat like mahjong," he says. "In my eyes, mahjong is the epitome of Chinese philosophy. What is fate and what is luck? - It's all there when you sit at a mahjong table."
Date: Through October 7, 10am-5pm
Address: 681 Julu Rd
"I like birds. They are the spirit of nature, and I want to retain them forever in my paintings," says Wu, who was sent to the countryside for "reeducation" as a young city boy. There, he appreciated nature and came to love birds and flowers.
An exhibition of Wu's latest flower and bird paintings is underway at the Shanghai Art Salon on Julu Road.
Unlike many painters who mostly work in their studios, 54-year-old Wu describes himself as a "playboy" who likes playing mahjong, drinking coffee with pretty women and enjoying the best food in town.
"Frankly, I am not a diligent person in art. I only paint when I'm in the mood," Wu says.
But his fine brushwork and traditional realistic style set Wu's work apart from that of other traditional ink-wash painters.
"It's quite difficult to achieve the special elegance and perspective in bird-and-flower paintings but unwittingly and fortunately, I seem to possess that ability," he says.
Wu studied fine brush painting when he was young under masters such as Xie Zhiliu and Jiang Hanting.
He belongs to the generation that experienced tumult in China during the anti-intellectual "cultural revolution" (1966-76), when urban young people were sent to the countryside to learn from farmers. It was known as "reeducation."
Later, Wu was able to study in Japan when China adopted an open-door policy in the 1980s.
"I have savored different flavors in life, which enables me to look at the world with a more tolerant heart," the artist says. "You can imagine the feelings of a city boy sent to do manual labor in the countryside. But I am not a pessimistic person and I tried to have fun. I observed the birds, caught turtles and frogs and cooked delicious meals for myself."
Looking back at those "wild and free days," he sounds nostalgic, saying he wishes urban young people today could have that experience.
In addition to rice paper, Wu also paints on silk or gilded paper, to give his works a different ambience.
"I paint each work quite slowly, because for me it is a process of self-nurturing, somewhat like mahjong," he says. "In my eyes, mahjong is the epitome of Chinese philosophy. What is fate and what is luck? - It's all there when you sit at a mahjong table."
Date: Through October 7, 10am-5pm
Address: 681 Julu Rd
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