Seventy Years of Artistic Achievements and Ten Thousand Li of Yellow River Sentiments - A Record of the Renowned Contemporary Chinese Painter and Calligrapher Tang Qinghai
Tang Qinghai, a member of the Chinese Artists Association and the first curator of the Qi Baishi Memorial Hall, was born in Nanyang City, Henan Province in 1935. He graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 1957, studying under masters such as Li Xiongcai, Guan Shanyue, and Yang Zhiguang. In 1985, he was appointed as the first curator of the Qi Baishi Memorial Hall. His works have been published in many newspapers and magazines since the 1950s, participating in numerous national exhibitions, with many pieces collected by museums, foreign friends, and compatriots from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Inheriting the characteristics of the Lingnan School style, Tang Qinghai excels in landscapes, flowers, birds, and figures. His works are grand in scale, rich in ink, and fresh and natural.
On August 27, 2011, the reporter attended the donation ceremony for the 168-meter-long grand painting "The Yellow River of China" created by Mr. Tang Qinghai over three years. At the Shangdu Art Museum in Zhengzhou, his "The Yellow River of China" adopts the techniques of the Lingnan School, blending multiple strengths, using various methods of expression, with flexible brushwork and ingenious use of ink. Here, we can appreciate both the charm of the "brush and ink skills" of traditional Chinese painting and the brilliance, color, depth, and space found in Western paintings. The combination of formative arts reaches its optimal state. The vigorous and majestic style on the canvas, the unrestrained and free-spirited atmosphere, the harmonious colors, and the bold sweeping strokes reveal the demeanor of a master of landscape painting. His mountains and waters possess distinct personalities and a strong sense of the times, with great artistic appeal...
Art is immortal; art knows no time. Beauty is eternal. After long-term exploration and practice, Tang Qinghai innovatively developed a "wood crack pattern" technique to depict rocks, complemented by the "water collision" and "powder collision" methods, appropriately introducing light and color. Under his brush, the rocks appear like "steel walls and iron barriers," with a strong "texture" and a sense of thickness, offering a refreshing experience. Especially his pines, which are graceful and full of vitality, are not just ordinary painting elements but cultural symbols and spiritual寄托s.
The path of painting is akin to the way of humanity. At the age of over seventy, Tang Qinghai still braves mountains and rivers, crossing nine provinces and regions along the Yellow River, traveling tirelessly for three years, enduring temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius and scorching heat, finally realizing his lifelong dream and creating the "Yellow River Scroll." This reflects an artist's unwavering pursuit and the patriotic heart of a son of China.
Mr. Tang Qinghai is modest and amiable in his character, and indifferent in his dealings with the world.
"The Yellow River of China" fully embodies the diligence and wisdom of the Chinese nation and its contribution to world civilization. It narrates the ancient and ceaseless history of the nine-bend Yellow River, showcasing the grandeur of the river flowing down from heaven, interpreting the historical process of the Yellow River Basin, the boundless momentum of continuous life, and carrying the timeless civilization of the nation. It presents the first ten-thousand-li Yellow River civilization map to the gallery of Yellow River culture.
Here, we see the breadth of vision of artists rooted in the soil of the nation, marking the cultural progress and ideological leap of an era. Tang Qinghai has become a representative figure of national progress.
When an artist in their journey reaches smooth plains and runs freely, it signifies that their artistic realm has reached a higher level - benevolent mountains and wise waters.
We are proud and honored of Mr. Tang Qinghai, this artist nurtured by the Yellow River, who is highly skilled in art, of noble character, persistently pursuing and courageously advancing.
Reported by Li Hong and Special Correspondent Wang Ping.
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