At the beginning of the new year in 2022, the "Beautiful Shanghai" Haipai Watercolor Creation Talent Training Studio Achievement Exhibition was unveiled in Jinghua Art Space (No. 92 Tongren Road). A group of watercolor masters led the students to use watercolor as a medium to shape the city image of "beautiful Shanghai" in an all-round way. The exhibition is jointly sponsored by Shanghai Talent Studio for the Combination of Culture and Education, Shanghai Steering Committee for Postgraduate Education of Art Degrees, and School of Fashion and Art Design of Donghua University.
"Beautiful Shanghai" achievement exhibition seminar site
As a foreign painting species introduced to China, watercolor first sprouted and developed in Shanghai. At the beginning of the last century, the "water" representing the East and the "color" representing the West met, merged and developed here, dyeing rich colors for the city. From the establishment of the Tushan Bay Painting Museum to the establishment of a new art school, Shanghai has always been a fertile soil for the promotion and dissemination of watercolor art in China, so Shanghai is the dock of "Chinese watercolor" and the source of "Chinese watercolor". Among the nearly 100 works on display, Shanghai's eclectic Shanghai culture of the Shanghai School is vividly exerted under the pen of watercolor painters.
It is understood that since its inception, Donghua University's "Beautiful Shanghai" Haipai Watercolor Creation Talent Training Project has been committed to excavating the heritage of red culture, Haipai culture and Jiangnan culture, exploring the new paradigm of Haipai art and creative talent training, and exploring the possibility of combining with other arts. Since the declaration in 2020, the "Beautiful Shanghai" Haipai Watercolor Creation Talent Training Studio has actively raised relevant watercolor teachers to serve the cultivation of Haipai watercolor talents. The "Beautiful Shanghai" watercolor teaching curriculum focuses on innovation and challenges, and advocates equal emphasis on creative standards and academic theories.
At the time of the exhibition, Feng Xinqun, Vice Dean of the School of Fashion and Art Design of Donghua University, Yang Jianyong, Director of Hurun Art Club, Wang Yuan, Professor of School of Fine Arts of East China Normal University, Professor Huang Azhong of School of Fine Arts of Shanghai University, Professor Liu Xiaodong of Donghua University and other famous artists discussed the development and trend of Haipai watercolor art. "Telling the story of Shanghai in watercolor has a special meaning today." Feng Xinqun said, "There are many details and textures in the city of Shanghai that highlight the characteristics of Haipai culture and have endless stories to tell. "Feng Xinqun has lived in Shanghai for more than 30 years, but he always feels that he has not seriously painted the city." A door may seem ordinary, but when you spend hours depicting it, you will feel the delicacy in the details of Shanghai's city. 'Beautiful Shanghai' is committed to walking through Shanghai with watercolor, so that more people can understand watercolor, let students perceive the beauty of Shanghai, and experience the cultural connotation and artistic charm of this modern metropolis. ”
The "Beautiful Shanghai" results exhibition opened
In the view of Yang Jianyong, the curator of the exhibition, Shanghai's urban character is a bit similar to watercolor. "Shanghainese are more casual and interesting, which is the highlight of watercolor painting, a water mark left by a flying white, or an unintentional water trace shaping, are the romantic mood of Haipai watercolor." The ever-changing city is an opportunity for watercolor painting to create a more poetic and beautiful Shanghai. "Huang Azhong believes that watercolor sketching is a creative means around the city's street scenes, and romantic watercolors are very compatible with the city of Shanghai." Today, watercolors and students from all over the world pick up watercolors to express 'Beautiful Shanghai'. They use various forms and styles to express Shanghai and freehand Shanghai. ”