Master's works bring modernity to traditional painting

This year marks the 130th anniversary of Wu Hufan's birth.

The Shanghai museum chose to present his solo exhibition to "illustrate how traditional Chinese ink art impacted the early 1900s and modern artists such as Wu inherited and innovated the great traditions of ink art in the Jiangnan region (south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River), turning a new page for modern Chinese art and proving the strong vitality of traditional Chinese ink painting", said Chen Xiang, the academic director for the exhibition and the vice-chairman of the Shanghai Artists' Association, at the opening ceremony on Aug 5.

Wu was born in an esteemed house in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, as the grandson of renowned scholar Wu Dazheng (1835-1902). Since childhood, he inherited the rich heritage of literati art. In 1924, he moved to Shanghai where he was exposed to modern urban culture.