Art in the family: two generations of artistry at new museum
Zhang Yuan Art Museum
"My Sweet Hometown," a traditional Chinese painting exhibition of works by Minhang artists Zhang Yuan and her father, Zhang Shoucheng (1918-2013), has opened as a permanent show at the Zhang Yuan Art Museum.
Landscapes, as well as flowers and birds ink paintings, with either fine and delicate strokes or in freehand style, represent Shanghai-style painting with their unique features.
Zhang Yuan, born in 1943 into a celebrated art family, learned traditional Chinese flowers and birds, landscape and figure paintings from masters Jiang Hanting (1903-1963), Yu Zicai (1915-1992) and Liu Danzhai (1931-2011). One of her works, "Moonrise over a Pine Forest," was included in the "Collection of Works by Chinese Female Artists."
She is also a member of Shanghai fine art and calligraphy associations, a researcher with the Shanghai Research Institute of Culture and History and the China Central Institute for Culture and History Fine Art and Calligraphy Academy, a senior artist with the Shanghai Painting and Calligraphy Academy, as well as a retired professor from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's School of Media and Design.
During the opening ceremony for the exhibition, Zhang donated 91 of her works and a namesake picture album "My Sweet Hometown" to the Minhang District government.
"The art museum is about 600 square meters," said Sun Yongkang, chief designer of the art museum. "We've made full use of its space by applying both removable walls and fixed exhibition space to maximize the displayed works of artists."
"Zhang is expressing her deep attachment to Xinzhuang Town through one of her works 'The Returned Birds in the Sunset'," said Sun Yun, one of Zhang's students. "She created the work during a visit back to Xinzhuang's No. 3 Community Health Service Center in 2013. Two gingko trees still remained around the center. To their southwest, there used to be the residential building Zhang Yuan's great grandfather built for his grandchildren, which was also where Zhang Yuan's father and his siblings grew up."
A corridor in the exhibition center features about 10 of Zhang Shoucheng's works, as well as an introduction to the Zhang family and the history of Xinzhuang.
Ink wash painting "The Sound of Cranes Can be Heard in the Marsh and Known throughout the World" created by Zhang Yuan in 1986
"The Returned Birds in the Sunset" created in 2013 by Zhang Yuan
"The Peony Flowers" created in 1982 by Zhang Yuan
Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-4:30pm
Venue: Zhang Yuan Art Museum
Address: 305 Qixin Rd
七莘路305号
