A painting by Tian Shiguang is among the exhibits at an exhibition at CAFA. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Feather and Light is an exhibition currently at the art museum of Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts, which marks the 100th anniversary of Tian Shiguang's birth (1916-1999), an artist of the bird-and-flower painting genre and former professor at CAFA.
The bird-and-flower genre has been a time-honored, deeply-seated tradition in the history of Chinese art. However it has encountered a crisis of existence since the 20th century when many artists turned to Western painting styles.
Tian is a respected figure who gave new life to the bird-and-flower painting. His innovation lent a simple and refreshing style to the genre while maintaining its graceful charms.
![Tian Shiguang, an artist of the bird-and-flower painting genre and former professor at CAFA. [Photo provided to China Daily]](http://www.ecns.cn/2016/0920/2016920142750.jpg "Tian Shiguang, an artist of the bird-and-flower painting genre and former professor at CAFA. [Photo provided to China Daily]")
Born in a village near Beijing's Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), Tian grew up in an environment full of beautiful natural scenery, vivid rural life and a mild climate that appealed to varieties of birds. Tian's birthplace later became an inspiration for his creations.
At 17, he started creating mountain-and-water and gongbi paintings at a fine art school. He later shifted his focus to the flower-and-bird.
In 1937, he became the first of 35 researchers at the Chinese painting department of the Palace Museum. There, he had access to many ancient paintings by master artists, so his techniques and cultural attainment progressed.
He further integrated the style of mountain-and-water painting into the creation of flower-and-bird. He used the subjects of birds and flowers as the focus while the mountains were in the back round, presenting a grand feeling.
He taught at CAFA after 1949 and meanwhile painted many works of art that adorn the interior of official buildings and Chinese embassies abroad.
Some of these governmental bodies lent their collections of Tian's paintings for the underway exhibition. Also being showcased are works on loan from the National Art Museum of China and Beijing Fine Art Academy. The exhibition ends on Friday.
![A painting by Tian Shiguang is among the exhibits at an exhibition at CAFA. [Photo provided to China Daily]](http://www.ecns.cn/2016/0920/2016920142853.jpg "A painting by Tian Shiguang is among the exhibits at an exhibition at CAFA. [Photo provided to China Daily]")
