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July 11, 2012

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Busy curator skilled at ink-wash

CHEN Lusheng, the busy assistant curator of the National Museum of China, is multi-talented at multi-tasking, holding two solo exhibitions at one time, one photography and one ink-wash painting.

The ink-wash exhibition features 50 of his latest works in traditional style at the Shanghai Art Museum. The photography exhibition just closed.

"I grew up in a photo studio opened by my father in the 1940s," Chen says. "Even as a boy, I was fascinated by the magical world of light and shadow."

Born in 1956 in Yangzhong City, Jiangsu Province, Chen grew up in an atmosphere of simplicity on a small island in Yangzhong.

"At that time, my father thought that writing the perfect Chinese character was a must, so I practiced calligraphy for years," he says.

Chinese calligraphy and painting are said to share the same origin.

Chen's paintings are infused with an ambience of elegance and harmony.

Unlike some of his peers who modernize ink wash with bold strokes and splashes, Chen uses minimal color and light, intricate brushwork in his landscapes and flowers. His snow scenes are especially effective in their gradients of black and gray, reflecting his understanding of light and shadow in photography.

Yet painting is not Chen's major vocation. For the past three decades he has been researching art history and writing about theory and criticism.

In 1985, Chen obtained a master's degree in art history and criticism. In 2004 he became director of the research and curation department at the National Museum of China.

Huang Yongyu, a veteran artist observes, "It's hard to imagine that with his busy work schedule Chen could have such a peaceful heart enabling him to create such serene works. He seems to conjure up a distant world and memories of things that never really happened."



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