On October 25, the exhibition “A Thousand Miles of Natural Smiles: Commemorating the 140th Anniversary of Chen Shuren’s Birth” opened at the Guangzhou Art Museum.
This exhibition represents a rare comprehensive retrospective of Chen Shuren’s art, spanning over 4,000 square meters. It is jointly organized by the Guangzhou Art Museum, the National Art Museum of China, and the Guangdong Provincial Museum. The exhibition will be on display until January 5, 2025.
Chen Shuren (1884-1948) was born in Panyu, Guangdong, now part of Guangzhou. He is regarded as one of the outstanding Chinese painters of the modern era and a founding figure of the Lingnan School, which gained prominence in 20th-century Chinese painting. Chen, along with Gao Jianfu and Gao Qifeng, is collectively known as the “Two Gaos and One Chen,” and they are often referred to as the “Three Masters of Lingnan.” Chen played an essential role in the evolution of Chinese art from classical to modern styles.
Unlike the works of the “Two Gaos,” which often showcase profound shaping abilities and technical skill, Chen’s art emphasizes color and lyricism. He admired the principles of literati painting, focusing on subjective emotions rather than objective representation, aligning him more closely with the identity of a literati painter. In addition to being an accomplished artist, Chen was also a poet, and his works often blend poetry and painting, reflecting the ethos of “poetry within paintings and paintings within poetry.”
The exhibition is organized into three main sections: “Colorful Blossoms and Elegant Creations: Chen Shuren’s Flower and Bird Works,” “Painting the Landscape with a Single Brush: Chen Shuren’s Landscape Works,” and “Artistry Rooted in Character: The Man Behind Chen Shuren,” along with an auxiliary section titled “Traces of Poetry in Paintings: The Poetic World of Chen Shuren.” These themes are derived from Chen’s poetry or related poems, showcasing his unique artistic style, moral integrity, and an artful life filled with poetic sentiment.
In total, approximately 258 pieces are on display, including 162 from the Guangzhou Art Museum’s collection and 96 borrowed works from institutions such as the Palace Museum, the National Art Museum of China, the Guangdong Provincial Museum, the Guangdong Art Museum, the Lingnan School Memorial Museum, the Ho Shao-ning Art Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Museum of Art.
