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Artist captures spirit of Forbidden City
By Zhu Linyong (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-09 06:31
For most of the time since mid-October, oil painter Jiang Guofang has locked
himself at home, sweating away at new pieces in a secluded courtyard in the
small county town of Yanjiao, on the east border between Beijing and Hebei
Province.
In his spacious studio, visitors may find some of the artist's favourite
paintings depicting pretty women and young men in ancient costumes against the
backdrop of the Forbidden City.
Next to the studio, his house appears to be a small art gallery, filled with
numerous books, catalogues, oil paintings, vintage photos of old China
particularly those about life in the Qing Court as well as Chinese and foreign
artefacts.
"Many of my previous works are not with me anymore, so I have to churn out
more for the next exhibition," said Jiang, with the slight resignation of a
mother speaking of her beloved children far away from her.
For years, the 54-year-old artist has been hailed by critics and collectors
as "the painter of the Forbidden City" for his distinctive oil painting series
depicting the former imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911)
of ancient China.
The upcoming exhibition is different from the one he held last September in
the Forbidden City, and the latest one at the Palazzo Venezia in Rome, Italy
between July and early October.
Starting next May, Jiang will launch his five-year worldwide exhibition tour
that is expected to kick off at Palermo Museum and then move to Taormina Museum,
both in Sicily, Italy, before going on to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, France,
the Museo Diocesano in Barcelona, Spain, and to many more art museums in Europe
and North America.
"It is my turn to divert the world's attention to the ever-lasting grandeur
and glory of the Forbidden City," said the ambitious artist.
"With my paintings, I intend to make the world heritage
better understood and appreciated not only by Chinese today but also by people
from all over the world."
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