A total of 73 oil paintings by 12 young painters from Shenzhen
are on display at an exhibition in the National Art Museum of China
in Beijing until July 17.
The 12 Shenzhen-born painters, aged 4 to 14, are Zhang Zhuo'er, Sun
Yuqian, Huang Xutong, Li Wanxin, Zhang Jingru, Mai Yixin, Li
Zhuoyuan, Luo Yixiao, Huang Jiaqi, Wang Jiayang, Huang Jiaguo and
Liang Jiayang.
They are all students of Dong Jianguo and Wu Xiaoyan, a
husband-and-wife duo who teach painting at the Shenzhen Xiaoyan
Children's Art School in Futian District.
The 73 oil paintings on display have been selected from the
students' recent works, which express their views on the world,
life and society.
The exhibition has been co-organized by the publicity department
of the Communist Youth League of China and the organizing committee
of China Juvenile Calligraphy and Fine Arts Competition in
Beijing.
The exhibition is the first featuring the works of Shenzhen
children to be staged in the National Art Museum.
In early June, 17 jury members of the art committee of the
National Art Museum of China appraised the 12 young painters' works
and unanimously approved of an exhibition of the paintings.
"When I was told on the phone in the evening that a joint
exhibition had been approved, I could not fall asleep for the whole
night," said Dong.
"I was also told that the 73 works not only represented the best
oil paintings the Shenzhen children could have done, but also
represented new development trends of the contemporary Chinese oil
painting," he added.
Zhang Jingru, 10, is a Grade Four student in Shenzhen Liyuan
Elementary School. She began to learn painting at age 5.
In her spare time, Zhang likes music, dance and sports. She also
loves reading science fiction and philosophy books.
Among the 12 young painters, Zhang is probably the most
controversial for the philosophical theme of her paintings.
Little figures with swords in their hands, who seem to be
struggling to pierce something, can be frequently seen in her
works.
Born in 1993, Zhang Zhuo'er is now a Grade One student of
Shenzhen Senior High School. In his spare time, he loves playing
the piano. He has been studying painting under Wu Xiaoyan since he
was 8 years old.
In 2004, at age 11, he won second prize at the Second China
Juvenile Calligraphy and Fine Arts Competition after spending three
years learning painting techniques.
In the same year, he began to learn oil painting, and felt he
was good at it. In 2006, his oil painting, titled "The Dream of
Roses - Thinking of the 2008 Olympics" won the special prize in the
Third China Juvenile Calligraphy and Fine Arts Competition.
His recent works feature the themes of music and animals, and
have sharp color contrasts, a strong sense of rhythm and rich
imagination.
Huang Xutong, 14, is a slim and graceful girl. Perhaps because
she was born in spring, both her character and works frequently
reflect the season: tender, elegant and tranquil yet without
lacking passion and liveliness.
Her rich and bold imagination has also filled her oil paintings
with meaningful and thought-provoking tension.
When Huang started to learn painting at age 4, she used a piece
of white paper with three circles to create a scene of a family
excursion in spring, which won her a gold prize from an American
children's painting organization. This success made her even more
enthusiastic about painting. Her most unforgettable experience was
when she participated in an art exhibition in Paris, France in the
summer of 2006.
To create her entry for the exhibition, she studied traditional
Chinese drama. Her work, titled "Chinese Drama," won praise from
French painters and was bought by Jean Claudz, a French government
official.
Huang Jiaqi, 8, is a Grade Two pupil in Shenzhen Experimental
School. She is good at painting, singing, performing, and dancing.
At age 4, Huang began to learn painting from Wu Xiaoyan. Since
then, she has won numerous prizes in China and abroad.
Huang said her dream was to stand upside down on the moon one
day. Her recent works feature the theme of plants, and animals as
well as how to protect the earth.
Li Yan, mother of Sun Yuqian, said she felt very proud that her
daughter's works were being displayed at the exhibition.
"I myself don't know of oil painting so much, but I feel very
proud that these children have made such great progress in learning
oil paining and have done something their parents probably cannot
do in all their lives," Li said.
"Although we are not sure what these children will do 10 or 20
years later, this exhibition, as a landmark in their lives, will
make an important impact on their future," she added.
(Shenzhen Daily July 13, 2007)
