On December 12, the "Walking – Feng Dazhong and Guo Xingwen's Elegant Gathering of Poetry, Calligraphy and Painting in Shanghai" exhibition opened at the Duoyunxuan Art Museum in Shanghai. The exhibition uses "poetry, calligraphy and painting as the framework" to connect nearly one hundred meticulous and ink paintings by painter Feng Dazhong, as well as corresponding poems and calligraphic inscriptions by Guo Xingwen.
Feng Dazhong was born in Gaixian County, Liaoning Province in 1949. This painter, famous for his tiger paintings, has an artistic foundation that extends far beyond tiger painting. As the well-known art critic Shao Dazhen pointed out, Feng Dazhong's artistic path is a lonely journey that emphasizes both "learning from the ancients" and "learning from nature."
In his sketching practice of tigers, Feng Dazhong conducted in-depth research on anatomy, skeleton and muscles, and tirelessly observed and recorded their dynamics and expressions. He even wrote annotations while drawing, and many of his sketches became independent works with vivid spirit.
Feng Dazhong Shuanghui
For example, in Feng Dazhong's meticulous tiger painting "Frosty Glow" exhibited at the event, Feng Dazhong broke away from the traditional style of tiger painting, which emphasized "fierce tigers descending the mountain" and "imperial aura." In the painting, every hair on the tiger's body is meticulously depicted with fine brushstrokes, its texture fluffy yet lustrous. The bones and muscles undulate and emerge beneath the fur, exuding an inner sense of power. The renowned art historian Shao Dazhen wrote before his death that Feng Dazhong's landscape paintings were essentially "expressions of the spirit and harmony within his heart." He infused his sketches with creative consciousness, expressing his expansive mind and joyful state of mind, wandering freely between heaven and earth, through the flow of lines, the misty ink, and the fusion of water and color.
Exhibition site
The exhibition also features poems and calligraphy by Guo Xingwen inscribed on Feng Dazhong's paintings, showcasing the fusion of poetry, calligraphy, and painting in form and spirit. Regarding Feng Dazhong's "Scholar Under Pine Trees," Guo Xingwen inscribed: "The coiled dragon's head spirals upwards, lying before the cliff overlooking the five lakes. Who says the Qin pines here are lush? It's not that the mountain spirit loves the stone spring."
Guo Xingwen, born in 1952, has long been active in the literary and artistic circles of Northeast China. The core of his artistic practice is "using poetry to nourish calligraphy, and using calligraphy to spread poetry." The exhibition will run until December 18.
