China News Service, Moscow, February 18th: Question: Why do Russians like Chinese traditional paintings?
——Exclusive interview with Dongqing Guo, researcher at the Chinese Cultural Research Center, Institute of China and Modern Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences
China News Service reporter Tian Bing
2024 to 2025 is the China-Russia Cultural Year. Against this background, how do you think that Chinese traditional painting art is increasingly loved and sought after by professionals and ordinary people in Russia? How do you view the similarities, differences, exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and Russian painting art concepts? In this regard, China News Service's "East-West Question" recently conducted an exclusive interview with Anna Dontsenko (Chinese name "Holly Country"), who is a researcher at the Chinese Culture Research Center of the Institute of China and Modern Asia, Russian Academy of Sciences, a Chinese traditional painting artist, and a curator of calligraphy and painting exhibitions. people.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: Does your Chinese name have any interesting origins and meanings?
Holly Country:
My Chinese name is "Holly Country", the winter of winter, the green of youth, the country of the country.
This name was given to me by the Chinese painter Du Heng. At that time, I was going to study at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou and stayed in Beijing for a few days. When she learned that I didn't have a Chinese name, she asked about the pronunciation of my Russian surname, so she recommended this name to me - Holly Country.
I like this Chinese name very much. These three characters have a deep meaning. The winter in Russia is very long, but I believe that Russia is on a positive path of development and the country will be more prosperous. The combination of the three Chinese characters "Holly Country" represents to me my motherland - Russia.
China News Service reporter: When did you become interested in Chinese painting?
Holly Country:
I became interested in Chinese culture and painting when I was in middle school. When I first walked into the Moscow Museum of Oriental Art, I fell in love with the Chinese exhibition hall. Many Chinese collections and paintings are displayed in the exhibition hall. I looked at it for a long time, trying to understand the painting process of Chinese painting. I found that the composition, lines and colors of Chinese paintings, including the depiction of trees, stones, mountains, etc., are very different from the Russian painting methods. I am amazed by the painting skills of Chinese artists, who can create amazing paintings of flowers and birds with just a few strokes.
This gave me the idea of learning more about Chinese painting and China. So I started looking for books about Chinese history, philosophy and culture in the library. However, there were very few books introducing the art of Chinese painting at that time, and it was difficult to find Chinese pens, inks, pigments and rice paper to practice Chinese painting in Russia. It was not until many years after I graduated from high school that I realized my dream of becoming a Chinese traditional painter.
Dongqing Chinese painting works. Photo provided by interviewee
China News Service reporter: Tell us about your study experience in China. What did you learn from your Chinese teachers?
Holly Country:
For a long time, I taught myself Chinese calligraphy and painting in Russia through all available information resources. But I understand that this kind of artistic knowledge cannot be completely obtained from books or videos.
Galina Kulikova, the first vice-president of the Russia-China Friendship Association, and Li Hui, the then Chinese Ambassador to Russia, noticed my efforts and achievements in learning Chinese art and gave me strong support. As a result, I won a scholarship and the opportunity to study in China for one year. From 2014 to 2015, I had the opportunity to go to the China Academy of Art, one of the best art schools in China, and began to study Chinese painting systematically.
While at the China Academy of Art, I studied under the famous painter Ms. Dai Guangying. She patiently and carefully taught me the basic techniques and characteristics of landscape painting, and always took the trouble to answer all my questions. I was impressed by her approachability and enthusiasm, as well as her courses. To this day, we still keep in touch through WeChat. I hope to have the opportunity to return to Hangzhou and meet Teacher Dai again.
While studying in Hangzhou, I not only studied Chinese painting, calligraphy, seal cutting and other courses, but also enjoyed the cultural customs of many places in China, and watched and photographed various strange natural landscapes. After returning to Russia, I continued to study Chinese painting and painted many paintings of places I had been to.
Dongqing Chinese painting works. Photo provided by interviewee
In 2016, at the opening ceremony of a Chinese painting exhibition in Moscow, I met the famous Chinese painter Gu Daming. At that time, Teacher Gu's paintings left a deep impression on me, and I would like to call them true masterpieces of landscape painting. So, I came to China again that year and continued to study Chinese landscape painting as a disciple of Teacher Gu. He taught me to see the beauty of nature, to understand this beauty through speculation, and to express it on paper using Chinese painting.
Teacher Gu Daming gave me valuable knowledge and motivation, allowing me to study Chinese painting more deeply. I was deeply moved by his patient guidance. Under his guidance, I mastered Chinese painting techniques and helped me unlock the mysteries of Chinese landscape painting.
Dongqingguo took a photo with Mr. Gu Daming. Photo provided by interviewee
China News Service reporter: What do you think of the similarities and differences between Chinese painting and Russian painting? What inspiration or ideas does Chinese painting bring to you?
Holly Country:
In my opinion, Russian paintings are mainly realistic, and many Russian artists are better at showing what they see around them in their paintings. Chinese painters are good at depicting the characteristics of things. In fact, both Russian and Chinese painters hope to arouse emotional resonance from the audience with works full of beauty and harmony.
To me, Chinese painting is not just a piece of painting paper. In addition to the appearance of the painting, it also contains many meanings: it may be the myths and legends hidden in it, or it may be some historical events or various beautiful visions.
The use of Chinese brush and ink techniques fascinates me. Black ink is rendered and blurred on white rice paper, subtly transforming into different colors. Due to the special material of rice paper, wrong strokes cannot be corrected. This requires the painter to have precise strength and control of the strokes in order to achieve the desired effect with one movement. It's really hard and requires a lot of practice, but I find it fun.
Dongqing Chinese painting works. Photo provided by interviewee
Reporter from China News Service: In addition to your research work and creation, you also often organize and participate in various activities, and tell traditional Chinese culture to Russian audiences by holding exhibitions, lectures, master classes and other activities. What was your original intention?
Holly Country:
Whenever I talk about Chinese culture and art, I find the Russian audience’s sincere love and interest. They ask me a lot of questions and I am happy to share everything about China with them. What usually happens is that after communication, people become more interested in Chinese culture. They start reading books about China, watching movies about China, and some decide to try to draw a Chinese painting with a brush or learn to write calligraphy, and then This hobby will stay with them for many years. Many of my students have become winners of international calligraphy competitions or participants in Chinese painting exhibitions.
In January 2023, Holly Country participated in the award ceremony of the "Children's Eyes on China" children's painting competition and taught Chinese painting on-site. Photo by Tian Bing
China News Service reporter: In recent years, exchanges and interactions between China and Russia in the field of humanities and art have become more frequent. What do you think of this phenomenon?
Holly Country:
I believe that strengthening cultural ties between Russia and China will help enhance mutual understanding and enhance friendship and cooperation. In Russia, the number of people who are interested in China is increasing day by day, and they want to know more about this beautiful country. In recent years, various traditional Chinese cultural activities, exhibitions of Chinese artists, and performances by Chinese musicians and actors have become increasingly popular among the Russian people.
Holly Country holds lectures on Chinese painting in Russia. Photo provided by interviewee
China News Service reporter: 2024 to 2025 is the China-Russia Cultural Year. What are your expectations? Do you have any plans of your own?
Holly Country:
Cooperation in the cultural field has always been an important part of friendly exchanges between Russia and China. It is hoped that the hosting of the Russia-China Cultural Year will inject new impetus into cooperation and exchanges in this field and the development of bilateral relations.
This year, I plan to hold multiple personal art exhibitions in Moscow and several other cities in Russia, so that the Russian people can not only see paintings full of Chinese style, but also have an in-depth understanding of Chinese culture. In addition, I will also hold lectures and master classes on Chinese calligraphy and painting, giving more people the opportunity to understand the unique expressiveness of Chinese art. (over)
Interviewee profile:
Holly Country. Photo provided by interviewee
Anna Dontsenko (Holly Country) graduated from the Russian State Academy of Oriental Studies and is currently a researcher at the Chinese Cultural Research Center of the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a member of the Central Committee of the Russia-China Friendship Association, a Chinese traditional painting artist, a distinguished painter of the China Green Landscape Painting Academy, China Member of Forestry Artists Association. Holly has held and participated in more than 30 art exhibitions in Russia and China so far. Her calligraphy and painting works have won many national awards and are collected by many institutions and museums in China and Russia. She has written many research papers on Chinese art and culture. In 2019, some of the works of Holly Kingdom were officially included in the national catalog of the Russian Federal Museum Foundation. This is also the first time in Russia that a Russian painter's work in the Chinese traditional painting style has been included in the catalog.