The woodcut work of veteran Chinese artist Huang Yongyu has long been on the art lover’s radar. Running from April 18 until May 20, an exhibition chronicling Huang’s artistic achievements is open to the public at the China Grand Canal Museum in Yangzhou, Jiangsu. It brings together 163 woodcut prints and 11 carved wood blocks created by the master over a decorated career spanning more than half a century.

Born in 1924, Huang is well known for his ink paintings that feature an animated palette and bold brush strokes to deliver a primitive beauty. At the same time, his woodcut prints are by no means inferior to his paintings. He has devoted himself to the art of woodcuts for eight decades, resulting in numerous masterpieces.

The exhibition is titled "Carved into Wood – Huang Yongyu’s Centenary Print Exhibition."

"The theme of the exhibition is 'Carved into Wood.' We want to highlight the achievements of Mr. Huang's 80-year-career at the exhibition. Mr. Huang's works are presented in chronological order. We hope to give a comprehensive overview of typical pieces from every era," explained Xu Xiaohu, head of the exhibition department at the China Grand Canal Museum.

The exhibition consists of two parts. The first showcases Huang’s woodcut illustrations of classic literary works and lifelike printmaking portraits, including his most famous "Ashima" series, which features a set of distinctive portraits the artist created during a visit to Yunnan in the 1950s. 

Also on display are the illustrations featuring forest scenery, which Huang created for "In the Wood," a children's book written by his wife Zhang Meixi.

The second part of the exhibition takes visitors on a journey to appreciate Huang's black-and-white woodcut prints, and also showcases colored woodcut prints from different periods. Since the 1940s, Huang has devoted all his time to woodcuts and has created many classic pieces, including "Spring Tide" and "Heini." 

The 99-year-old is delighted to see his talents being displayed at the exhibition and recorded a video for the museum to express his gratitude. "Thanks for displaying my works at the China Grand Canal Museum. I wish I could be there myself. But I’m so sorry because my health condition doesn't allow me to do that. There have been many happy moments in my life, and also regretful ones. Me not being there is one of them," said Huang.

He also painted a work called "Yangzhou Man (The Yangzhou Adagio)" particularly for the exhibition. "We have put it in a separate area, so that more visitors can see this work. It will also be included in the permanent collection of the museum," said Xu Xiaohu.

While inheriting the essence of traditional Chinese woodcuts, Huang also introduced cartoons and other Western artistic elements into his creations. He has also designed a collection of zodiac stamps to mark Chinese New Year. He said he’s still trying to do some work at his table. "A piece of wisdom I have gained is that one should not flaunt one’s seniority, so I'm still working hard."