Flying, by Shu Chunguang. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)
Veteran painter Shu Chunguang, 76, is always looking for new ways to do things.
"It's hard to innovate traditional Chinese ink painting, yet I am still trying to make something new in spite of those difficulties," Shu said at the opening ceremony of an exhibition featuring 100 of his works from the past 50 years.
Born at a farmer's family in a small village in Gansu province, Shu worked in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region for more than 30 years. There, he broadened the traditional Chinese landscape painting by capturing the special geographic features of Xinjiang, especially the Yardang landforms in Northwestern China.
With large herds of camels in black and white, running horses on steep hills, the enlarged shadow of a flying eagle and white swans gliding across an azure lake near a dark blue hill, Shu poetically conveys the strong vitality and beauty of nature along the Silk Road.
Apart from animals, Shu has also painted ethnic people, often as small shapes, dancing, migrating, or walking across the Gobi desert. About 100 guests from famed institutions attended the ceremony, including the China Artists Association, Capital Normal University.
The exhibition is held at the China Millennium Monument and runs until March 23.
