Exhibition honors one of China's key 20th-century talents

An exhibition opened at the China Art Museum, Shanghai (Shanghai Art Museum) on New Year's Eve to commemorate the 180th anniversary of Wu Changshuo's birth.

Wu (1844-1927), a key Chinese artist of the 20th century born in today's Anji county in Huzhou of Zhejiang province, was a painter, calligrapher and seal carver. He is widely recognized as a leading figure of the Shanghai School of Art, or haipai, an artistic style and character typical of Shanghai during the early 20th century.

He began learning seal engraving at age 14 with the help of his father and "never spent a day without it through the rest of his life", according to Wu's official biography compiled by Anji county.

Wang Qisen, artistic director of the exhibition, chose to focus the exhibition on Wu's creations from 1912 when the artist moved to Shanghai and settled in the city until his death in 1927.

"Coinciding with Wu's settlement in Shanghai in 1912, the city's art scene entered a flourishing period when prominent artists emerged and great talents gathered in the city," Wang says.

The year 1912 saw an important turning point in Chinese history when the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was overthrown by the Republic of China and Sun Yat-sen took office as the first president. A number of former high-ranking officials and renowned scholars moved to Shanghai, joining the city's art community.