An exhibition featuring French artist Henri Matisse is now underway at the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. The exhibition offers an unparalleled portrait of the creative practices and artistic achievements of the inventor of Fauvism.

Titled "Matisse by Matisse," the show marks the first solo exhibition by modern master Henri Matisse held in the Chinese mainland. 

It features more than 280 works by the artist, along with handicrafts and other objects he himself collected, all drawn from the collection of the Musée départemental Matisse, Le Cateau-Cambrésis. This was the only museum that Matisse personally participated in the planning and founding of. 

"In this collection, which was selected by Matisse, we see an overview of who he was and how he grew and changed as an artist. By looking at this exhibition, we are looking at Matisse's own understanding of his evolution as an artist. That's why we call this exhibition 'Matisse by Matisse'," said Philip Tinari, director of the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

Born in 1869 in northern France, Henri Matisse was the founder and key representative of Fauvism, one of the most influential art movements of the 20th century. 

"Matisse by Matisse" is more than just another presentation of the artist's masterpieces: it is a deep dive into his life. 

Divided into 11 sections, the exhibition covers Matisse's entire career and the full range of his practices, encompassing mediums including oil painting, sculpture, ink drawings, prints, cut-outs, illustrations and textiles.

Additionally, the exhibition also features a special section exploring the influence of Matisse and Fauvism on the modern art movement that emerged in China between the 1920s and 1940s. 

"Matisse was really active in the early years of the 20th century. Interestingly, that's the time when you have Chinese artists studying in Paris, like Liu Haisu and Guan Liang. They were seeing works by Matisse and other modern artists. They wrote about them and even held interesting debates over them," said Philip Tinari. 

He added: "We wanted to show that Matisse's emergence as an artist happened at the same time that China's own modern art movement was flourishing."