On July 17, the "Era Yifei: Chen Yifei Retrospective Exhibition" work donation ceremony was held at the Pudong Art Museum. Chen Yifei's sculpture "Oriental Girl" and the water village series oil painting "Arch and Bridge" were officially donated to the Shanghai Pudong Art Museum by the Chen Yifei family and the Chen Yifei Cultural Development Special Fund, becoming the permanent collection of the museum. Chen Yifei's wife Song Meiying donated "Oriental Girl" on behalf of the Chen Yifei family and recalled the creation process of "Oriental Girl" with her as the model.
Chen Yifei's wife Song Meiying (right) donated "Oriental Girl" to the Pudong Art Museum on behalf of Chen Yifei's family.
"During a breakfast 26 years ago, Chen Yifei suddenly asked me what theme I would choose if I were to create a sculpture that embodies the beauty of the East. I said without hesitation, 'Then do me!' Yifei immediately took out a pen and asked me to pose as if I was holding a fan. This was the origin of "Oriental Girl," said Song Meiying at the scene.
The background of this donation is that the "Era Yifei: Chen Yifei Retrospective" currently being held at the Pudong Art Museum is the largest and most comprehensive personal retrospective of artist Chen Yifei to date. The exhibition takes the 80th anniversary of Chen Yifei's birth as an opportunity to present the overall appearance and ideological changes of Chen Yifei in each stage of his creative career.
Exhibition site of "Times Yifei: Chen Yifei Retrospective Exhibition"
The donation ceremony on July 17 was held in the auditorium on the second floor of the Pudong Art Museum. Representatives of Chen Yifei's family and many of Chen Yifei's friends gathered together.
Li Minkun, deputy general manager of Lujiazui Group and director of Pudong Art Museum, said in his speech that Chen Yifei's works, as an important chapter in the development of modern and contemporary art in Shanghai and even China, are an indispensable part of building a complete and in-depth local modern and contemporary art collection system, and the official acquisition of "Oriental Girl" and "Arch and Bridge" has enhanced its status and influence in the field of modern and contemporary art collection. "In Mr. Chen Yifei's ideal of 'big art, big vision', beauty not only stays on the canvas, but also integrates into the blood of the city, the texture of the times, and public life. "Oriental Girl" represents the embodiment of the city spirit, while "Arch and Bridge" reshapes the image of Jiangnan with poetic brushstrokes. The two works together convey the spiritual height and cultural depth pursued by Chen Yifei."
Exhibition site of "Times Yifei: Chen Yifei Retrospective Exhibition"
"Chen Yifei has an indissoluble bond with Pudong. The Sundial on Century Avenue and the reliefs in Century Park are all Chen Yifei's creations. As a representative of the family, donating Oriental Girl to the Pudong Art Museum is the best way to give it a home," said Song Meiying.
Another donated work, "Arch and Bridge", was created in 1999 and is part of his Water Village series. The painting depicts a typical Jiangnan arch bridge scene, with black tiles, white walls and reflections on the water intertwined. The artist used complex thick-color frosting techniques in his work, giving the painting a delicate texture and soft light and shadow atmosphere, recreating the hazy artistic conception and flowing charm of the Jiangnan water village, and expressing Chen Yifei's nostalgia for his hometown and his admiration for the cultural landscape of Jiangnan.
Wei Ping (right) donated Chen Yifei's work "Arch and Bridge" on behalf of the former Chen Yifei Art Special Fund
On behalf of the former Chen Yifei Art Special Fund, Wei Ping donated a work by Chen Yifei to Lujiazui Group and the Shanghai Pudong Art Museum, the receiver. The work was authenticated and certified by the Chen Yifei Family Heritage Committee and Christie's Auction House. It is one of the representative works of Mr. Chen Yifei's Water Village Series. I would like to thank the former Chen Yifei Art Special Fund and all donors. It is your selfless dedication and public donation support that ensures the wonderful presentation of the exhibition, and the artistic spirit of 'big vision, big art' advocated by Mr. Yifei is spread and praised in Shanghai, a heroic and romantic city. "Wei Ping said.
Although the two works are different in form, they vividly illustrate Chen Yifei's practice of expanding the boundaries of art with "grand art" and writing the spirit of the times with "grand vision".
At the donation ceremony, pianist Kong Xiangdong performed the melody composed for Chen Yifei.
At the ceremony, pianist Kong Xiangdong took the stage and played the melody he composed for Chen Yifei. "Brother Yifei and I live in the same time tunnel. We both went to the United States and stayed there, and then returned to our hometown to make our hometown more beautiful with our expertise. After we met, we often met unexpectedly on various occasions. His death 20 years ago shocked me. I have always wondered what kind of works Brother Yifei would create if he were alive today." Kong Xiangdong said, "Painting and music are inseparable. Art leaves us with a moment of eternity."
Chen Yifei's wife Song Meiying and Kong Xiangdong in front of "Oriental Girl".
Corresponding to Chen Yifei’s “Musician Series”, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra also brought music composed of flute, harp and violin. The music flowed between the lecture halls and Chen Yifei’s works.
It is reported that as an important extension of the exhibition, Pudong Art Museum will also take this donation as an opportunity to continue to deepen and expand the "Times Yifei" activity experience: including the "Times Yifei" immersive VR experience project, the "Ode to the Yellow River" patriotism education series of activities, the "Multifaceted Yifei" parent-child art workshop, related theme lectures and academic dialogues and other diverse activities, continue to ignite the torch of the "Yifei Spirit" in the context of the new era, and give it broader social vitality and educational significance.
The exhibition site of “Era Yifei: Chen Yifei Retrospective”. The exhibition will last until October 12.
- ZfdvmCuaJ07/17/2025