Master artist Fan Zeng opens exhibition in Beijing to ring in Year of the Dragon

Revered Chinese painter and calligrapher Fan Zeng has opened a special exhibition for the upcoming Chinese New Year in Beijing's Rongbaozhai, known to many as China's "Folk Palace Museum." The exhibition runs until March 15th, featuring some 160 painting and calligraphy works from the master, fully showcasing the charm of Chinese ink and brush art. Since the 1970s, Rongbaozhai has reproduced many of Fan Zeng's paintings using its own woodblock printing technique, which is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.

From images of a carefree cowherd to ancient Chinese sages and Buddhist figures, this exhibition has gathered some of Fan Zeng's finest artworks over his storied career, as well as some newly created pieces.

And to ring in the Chinese New Year, Fan has created four new pieces that will be turned into woodblock prints to mark the special occasion. They comprise two works of calligraphy featuring the characters "Fu (Good Fortune)" and "Shou (Longevity)," and two paintings – one about the Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zi and another about poet Luo Binwang's "Ode to Geese."

Fan was born into a learned family that had already flourished for 13 generations and produced several poets in Nantong, Jiangsu Province. He studied history for two years at Nankai University in Tianjin before transferring to the department of Chinese ink-brush painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. He has spent most of his life conveying Chinese beauty and embedding traditional philosophy through his art while advocating for more artistic dialogue between China and the rest of the world.

Fan shared, "Traditional Chinese painting is deeply rooted in philosophy, poetry and calligraphy. I think these three elements are fundamental parts of the traditional Chinese painting. The message my works convey is a shared vision to all mankind. I think that's why both people from the East and the West can appreciate its beauty."