Time of Opening: 2019/12/3 16:00
Location: CAFAM Lecture Hall
Exhibition Date: 2019/12/3-2020/1/3
Location: Gallery 2B, CAFA Art Museum
Organizer: Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)
Undertaker: CAFA Art Museum, Department of Oil Painting at CAFA
Support: National Museum of China, National Art Museum of China, Beijing Artists Association
In the Gande Pastoral Area, Guoluo Prefecture, Tibet in 1993
Pan Shixun is an important oil painter, art educator in modern Chinese art history. He was the director of Department of Oil Painting at Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). As CAFA embarks its second century’s journey, the exhibition “The Sketches and Oil Paintings of Pan Shixun”, organized by CAFA Art Museum and Department of Oil Painting at CAFA, will open on December 3, 2019. The exhibition aims to research and exhib it Pan Shixun’s art, and gain a further understanding of his outstanding practice in the field of Chinese realistic oil painting, and the characteristics of New China’s art education reflected in his art.
The People of Hui County Fix Power Station 18.4×26.5cm Charcoal pencil on paper, 1975
Pan Shixun was born in 1934. After working at a Jilin military unit for five years, he enrolled in CAFA in 1955. In 1958, he began his study at the Wu Zuoren Studio (Studio No.1) after Mr. Wu Zuoren and Mr. Ai Zhongxin. He graduated in 1960 and became a teacher at CAFA. Through his six-decade creative practice and teaching, three keywords are known of him: “sketch”, “Tibet” and “technique and material”.
Nadam Fair in Hulun Buir, 16.2×23.3cm, Watercolor on paper, 1986
"Sketch": Pan Shixun grew up amid the literary and artistic trend that encouraged artists to go deep into life in 1960s. Since he enrolled in CAFA, under the guidance of his teachers, he insisted on collecting inspirations by means of sketch, and using sketch as a language to record and express. He believed that realism should start from “learning from the truth” and end in “nature as it is”. His sketches recorded different landscape, were full of deep emotions in figures, came in various materials, and showed artistry within documentary quality, spirituality within directness. Although they are in a light volume, their charisma are much more eternal, thus Pan Shixun’s sketches are always seen as an independent creation.
Willow in Dazhao Temple, 37.2×53.2cm, Oil on canvas, 1963
Monba People Repair Houses, 27.2×38.5cm, Oil on canvas, 1964
“Tibet”: Since he accepted the mission of the Capital People’s Solidarity Delegations to the Volunteers in Tibet in 1960, the snow-covered plateau has become a theme of his creation. From national mission to personal choice, from passively to actively, Pan Shixun began his long-term drawing from nature in Tibet. He had set foot on the prairie in Sershul County 5000 meters from sea level, as well as the Markam area that was once hit by poverty. He was touched by the Tibetan people’s optimistic life attitude and shocked by the magnificent natural landscape. The works that reflected Tibetan people and their life became a major part of his creation. His natural and honest humanistic care, pure and direct realistic techniques made his work a unique being in Chinese oil painting field, especially among the artistic creations with Tibet as their theme.
The Red Sun Has Just Risen, 120×137.5cm, Oil on canvas, 1960
Collection of CAFAM
“Technique and material”: As an important artist nurtured by CAFA, Pan also followed in his predecessors’ steps and became a teacher. In decades, he devoted himself to the education of oil painting talents. Meanwhile, he cared about the development of Chinese oil painting. Pan can be seen as the first person who introduced western oil painting techniques and materials into the pedagogy of oil painting in New China. He went to France for academic exchange in 1980s, and committed himself to the research on techniques and materials, and expressiveness of oil painting. He published articles including The Evolution of European Traditional Painting Techniques and Thoughts on Oil Painting Techniques, and held lectures and classes on relevant topics. By doing so he promoted study on oil painting language in China, and led the creative trend that focused on oil painting itself.
Shepherd that Wears Fox Fur Hat, 54.8×39.9cm, Tempera and oil on canvas, 1989
The exhibition develops around the three keywords about Pan Shixun, and showcases his sketches and oil paintings in three parts. Exhibits include over 300 sketches that were rarely exhibited, and his representative oil painting works “The Red Sun Has Just Risen”, “We Are Walking on the Highroad”, “Shepherds of Markam” and “Woman of Garze”, and a large number of manuscripts and archives on his studies of techniques and materials. The exhibition reflects his art journey that centers around practice, and highlights his inheritance and promotion of the academic tradition that combines personality and aesthetics.
Sheperds of Markam, 125×250cm, Tempera on canvas, 1992
Fragrance of Milk, 63.1×79.1cm, Oil on canvas, 1980
Tibetan Woman of Dege County, 46×38cm, Tempera on canvas, 1983
The exhibition also receives great support from the National Museum of China, the National Art Museum of China and Beijing Artists Association. The exhibition will last till January 3, 2020.
| About the Artist |
Painting from nature in Yushu County, 1994
Pan Shixun was born in Jilin City, Jilin Province in 1934. He did creative and editorial work in the Fine Art Group, Department of Politics in Shenyang Military District in 1950s. In 1955, he enrolled in Department of Oil Painting at CAFA, and studied from professors including Wu Zuoren, Wang Shikuo, Dong Xiwen and Ai Zhongxin. In 1960, he graduated from the Wu Zuoren Studio (later renamed as Studio No.1) of the Department of Oil Painting, and became a teacher at CAFA. From 1984 to 1986, he was sent to école Nationale Supérieure Des Beaux-arts De Paris for further study by the Ministry of Culture. His title at CAFA went from teaching assistant to Director of Department of Oil Painting and Director of Painting Technique and Material Studio. He is now a member of China Artists Association and a member of director board of China Oil Painting Society. Pan Shixun's works are mainly oil paintings and mostly about plateau. His representative works include “The Song of Liberation”, "We Are Walking on the Highroad", "The Red Sun Has Just Risen" and "Tibetan Woman of Yajiang County". He has published painting collections including Pan Shixun's Oil Paintings and Pan Shixun's Works on Tibet. He has held exhibitions in China and overseas, and his works are collected by institutions including National Museum of China, National Art Museum of China, CAFA Art Museum. He is committed to research on western painting techniques and materials, and was the first person that introduced western painting techniques and materials into the pedagogy of modern oil painting in New China.
