China News Service, Hangzhou, June 19 (Tong Xiaoyu) "Before his father passed away, he was thinking about how to build the art museum almost every day. Today, his wish has finally come true." June 19, held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Wu Shanming's daughter Wu Gaolan said in an interview at the opening ceremony of the Wu Shanming Art Museum.
Wu Shanming is a master of contemporary Chinese figure painting and a famous figure painter of Zhejiang School.
He died in Hangzhou on February 4 due to illness.
More than four months later, the Wu Shanming Art Museum, which was planned for more than three years, was completed on the banks of the Qiantang River in Hangzhou.
exhibition site.
Photo by Tong Xiaoyu
It is reported that Wu Shanming Art Museum mainly collects, researches, and displays Wu Shanming's calligraphy and calligraphy works and historical documents.
The current collection of Wu Shanming's works from the Zhejiang School figure painting period in the 1970s, the freehand line drawing period in the 1980s, the Sumo reform period in the 1990s, and the full maturity of Sumo in his later years, including figures, flowers and birds, landscapes, Calligraphy, porcelain painting and many other types.
The exhibition site was crowded with people.
Photo by Tong Xiaoyu
There was a heavy rain in Hangzhou that day, and there were no people on the street.
But Wu Shanming Art Museum at Liuhe Pagoda by the Qiantang River is very different.
This place is very big, put down the original works of Wu Shanming's important period in his life; but it is also very small, and the exhibition hall is crowded with people.
In front of each painting, the audience quietly admired it.
exhibition site.
Photo by Tong Xiaoyu
An old man with gray hair followed the crowd.
He looked around and saw Wu Shanming's paintings covering the entire wall. He sighed, "Okay, I can come and see it often in the future."
Standing among the enthusiastic audience, Wu Shanming's daughter Wu Gaolan felt relieved.
She said that when she closes her eyes these days, she will see the image of her father.
Now that the museum is open, his wish has finally come true.
She remembered that it was in 2018 when she heard the news that Wu Shanming Art Museum was about to be built.
At that time, my father's health was pretty good.
"He has always had the idea to show his works to the public. Knowing that the museum is about to be built, he made a list of donations early, and talked about how to build the museum and which artists to invite as consultants."
exhibition site.
Photo by Tong Xiaoyu
This list of donations came to the hands of the three brothers and sisters of Wu Gaolan after Wu Shanming's death.
Although it is only a first draft, the works listed above are all works from an important period in his life.
For example, the huge ink painting "Shangri-La" created by Wu Shanming in 2014.
This painting is a concentrated representation of Wu Shanming's group portraits of Tibetans.
Regardless of the number of characters, the size of the work, or the creation of the scene, this work can be called a masterpiece in his later years.
There are many such works on site.
Wu Gaolan said that letting his father's work be presented to the public, rather than being privately owned, is to fulfill his father's last wish, but also to fulfill the mission of an artist.
"I was deeply impressed by what Xu Beihong's wife Liao Jingwen said. She said that Xu Beihong not only belongs to our family, he also belongs to society." In Wu Gaolan's eyes, his father is an outstanding artist, and his works should belong to this. era.
exhibition site.
Photo by Tong Xiaoyu
With this in mind, on the same day, Wu Shanming's wife Gao Yeyun donated art works and documents to the Hangzhou Municipal Government on behalf of Wu Shanming.
It is worth mentioning that the catalog of donations of Wu Shanming's works has also been compiled, and Wu Gaolan has also participated in it.
She said that although her father is gone, because there are still paintings handed down to the world and so many people still remember him, his artistic life will not end.
Mrs. Wu Shanming Gao Yeyun, on behalf of Wu Shanming, donated art works and documents to the Hangzhou Municipal Government.
Photo by Tong Xiaoyu
In the eyes of others, the Wu Shanming Art Museum opened, but Wu Shanming's last wish was fulfilled.
But for Wu Gaolan, this last wish is only a landing, and more tasks are yet to come.
"Father is an open and tolerant person. We must follow his ideas and work with the art museum management organization to preserve and publicize his father's paintings." Wu Gaolan said that building an art museum is only the first step, and we hope that the future can realize his father. I hope to make it a professional and energetic museum in my father’s heart.
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