2015 first “Art Xiamen” Expo opening ceremony
Famous contemporary Fujian artist Chen Yufeng
Zhang Xiong Art correspondence (Article/Hu Ying) 2015 first Art Xiamen Expo was opened in International Convention Centre yesterday. Many great artists from domestic and abroad like Xu Li, Wang Xinlun, Lin Rongsheng, Chen Zhiguang, Fu Xinmin, Tang Zhiyi and He Shiyang gathered together to attend the Expo. This “Art Xiamen” Expo was market-based and academy-oriented, integrating classic art, contemporary art and art derivatives into one. Its scale is almost the same with “Art Beijing”. On opening day, visitors came in an endless stream, reaching as many as over 10 thousand. They were all amazed, exclaiming “Xiamen is a city of art!”
Particularly worth mentioning is that in recent years, many Fujian artists have stepped onto global stages and made outstanding contributions for the development of contemporary art. This Expo specially introduced “Fujian School”, demonstrated the general appreance of Fujian art creation, facilitate Fujian residents to feel local art atmosphere and made a new “Art Card” for Xiamen. Chen Yufeng’s representative work showed up in this “Art Xiamen” Expo.
Chen Yufeng was appreciating his work together with visitors.
Chen Yufeng’s landscape paintings were exhibited in “Ink Paintings Invitation Exhibition Area” in Venue A of International Convention Center. His landscape paintings are majestic and vivid. The stretching valleys feel vast. The mountains are depicted with both fine and free brushwork. He studied painting from practicing calligraphy. To build a solid foundation, he has been using brush to write Xiao Kai. His profound skill in Tang Kai is rare in art circle. His brushwork in landscape painting is sophisticated and vigorous. He depicts the majestic mountains and rivers of the homeland with the amiableness and generosity of home people.
Chen Yufeng, also named Chen Yifeng, is from Hui’an, Fujian.He is Director of Chinese Artists Association, President of Fujian Artists Association, Founding Director of Traditional Chinese Painting Association, National Class A Artist and an expert who is granted special subsidy by State Council. He is also an art advisor of Xiamen Zhang Xiong Academy of Painting and Calligraphy. He mainly engages in traditional Chinese painting, watercolor and gouache creation. Meanwhile, he also studies oil painting, printmaking, lacquer painting, posters, comics and illustrations. He focuses on landscape and figure painting, especially traditional Chinese mountain and river painting.
Chen Yufeng grew up at the seaside of Hui’an. He inherited the good quality of industrious, intelligent, simple and honest quality of Hui’an people. Growing up in folk culture, he has loved folk paper craft and folk opera. In 1964, he graduated in stage art from Fujian College of Art and kept staying in the College for teaching and further study. At that time, famous Fujian traditional Chinese painter Chen Zifen also taught traditional Chinese painting in the College. Five years’ study has laid his solid foundation for painting. He practiced almost all forms of painting like oil painting, watercolor, print, poster, fresco, New Year picture, comics and illustration. In 1918, Chen Yufeng joined Chinese Artists Association with three painting of different categories: gouache, print, and lacquer painting. Since then, he has got rapt in the study and creation of traditional Chinese painting.
To shift from Western painting to traditional Chinese painting, Chen Yufeng has exert more efforts than common people. He practiced from the foundations; he absorbed the vigorousness of North School and the elegance of South School, and studied from the paintings from ancient Song and Yuan dynasties to modern times; he integrated modern thoughts into his painting. Meanwhile, he deeply studied different ideologies and cultural sources of the two kinds of painting. Finally, he broke the conventional rules and reached higher art realm. He formed his own style of contemporary painting with unique Chinese flavor. His painting style is majestic. Viewers always find hard to turn away from his paintings.
Chen Yufeng’s works are often published in national and provincial newspapers and journals and exhibited in domestic and abroad. In 1979, his gouache Flower won award in Fujian and collected in China Art Museum when National Art Exhibition was over. His works have been selected for CAA-hosted national exhibitions for 17 times. He has also held solo exhibitions for four times at home and abroad. His artwork used to be collected by China Art Museum, Chinese exhibition companies, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Governor-General of Macao Vasco Vieira and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Tung Chee Hwa. He also used to be invited to the U.S., Canada, Peru, Singapore, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong and Macao to hold exhibitions.
After half-a-century striving on the path of painting, Mr. Chen Yufeng tells us since he has retired, he does not have any stress on art pursuit any more. He just paints something he wants to express and gradually forms his own unique art style. He has a very simple idea, to introduce his own artwork to the public, saying that the public can appreciate his paintings is his consistent pursuit. Although many modern art are fairly refined, he still hopes his art can appeal to all. Mr. Chen said “I am a child of ordinary villagers , coming out from villages on barefoot. After tens of years of study, I should give the art back to my fellow villagers now. I paint out my own understanding of art and hope they can appreciate and like my paintings. If they don’t like, I will feel very sad.” These simple words reveal his feeling and understanding of the essence of art over these years. His artwork exhibited in the Expo were very much loved by connoisseurs and the masses.
Cheng Yufeng “Majestic Mountains And Rivers” appeared in Art Xiamen Expo and were loved by the public.