August 16, 2024
BEIJING – Born in Hubei, a province known for its history and cultural depth, Yi Zhiqun has committed the last 60 years of his life to paying tribute to his home.
“I want to forget my age. I need to seize every minute to continue to make progress, and to exceed myself on many levels,” the now 86-year-old says.
Yi says his painting career has spanned decades during which he has focused on a single thing: a deep exploration of the roots of the Chinese and Jing-Chu cultures to which he was born, by which he has been nurtured, and of which he is proud, and that he intends to spare no effort to carry on their spirit.
PHOTO: PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
Jing-Chu is a regional culture that thrived over 2,000 years ago in river drainage areas, and which later became synonymous with Hubei.
The province has an abundance of archaeological sites, artifacts and classic literature, as well as important figures, which demonstrate its historic glory, and which are vividly depicted in the paintings on show at Yi’s exhibition at the Art Museum of China National Academy of Painting in Beijing.
The artist says that he has no intention of repeating the past, but seeks to find creative ways to celebrate the culture which he is from.
PHOTO: PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
His work takes inspiration from the Chu Ci, an ancient anthology of poetry, and centuries-old lacquerware that represent the dynamic history and arts of Hubei. According to Wang Luxiang, a scholar and the exhibition’s academic supervisor, Yi seeks to convey an atmosphere of grace and relaxation, rather than the weight of history, as a result of which he is recognized as a spearhead of the novel Chu style.
Xu Lian, deputy director of the China National Academy of Painting, says that Yi’s work has blazed a new trail for the reinvention of Chinese painting over time.
PHOTO: PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
PHOTO: PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
PHOTO: PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
PHOTO: PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
PHOTO: PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY