Veteran artist depicts grandeur and aspirations of modern China

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At the National Museum of China in Beijing, a retrospective exhibition recently put artist Chen Jialing into the limelight again. For decades, the 80-year-old has been a leading figure in China’s art scene. The display of his latest productions proved a testament to the unflagging creativity of the artist.

Chen Jialing’s exhibition consists of four sections: the beautiful motherland, the fascinating homeland, the harmonious world, and the exquisite life. These themes reflect the artist’s interests and passion in recent years.

From Yan’an on Taihang Mountain to the village of Liangjiahe, Chen’s landscapes are imbued with the spirit of China’s modernity and aspirations.

Born in 1937, the artist has been a long-time fan of China’s revolutionary history. And Mt. Jinggang has remained his favorite subject.

“I’m so impressed by the tallest peak of the mountain. It is the highest point in the whole area. It towers above everything else. I’m never tired of looking at it. I like its assertiveness and its commanding dominance,” Chen said during an interview with CCTV.

Scenes of Mt. Jinggang are the popular theme under Chen’s brush. /CFP Photo

The ruggedness of the mountain has inspired many landscape classics. Lu Yanshao, Chen Jialing’s teacher, breathed new life into the subject.

Chen said, “The region is lush with vegetation. The slopes are covered with trees. Under the sunlight, the treetops display a very distinctive contour. Its dazzling brilliance is vigorous and full of life. Lu always stressed this unique sense of life in his paintings of Mt. Jinggang. It’s a very original idea in terms of composition.”

Following his teacher’s footsteps, Chen Jialing has established a style of his own. His use of saturated colors lends the sun-drenched landscape a mesmerizing quality.

He said that the role of colors is vital in his paintings and that color is a force of life, and it reflects how the world exists.

Chen Jialing's retrospective exhibition at the National Museum of China. /CFP Photo

Starting with Mt. Jinggang, Chen Jialing has completed a series of spectacular landscape. The most recent is a portrayal of the West Lake in east China’s city of Hangzhou.

At the G20 summit in 2016, the work titled “The Beauty of West Lake” provided the backdrop for China’s national leaders and foreign dignitaries. Measuring five by five meters, the panorama was created with the ink wash technique of traditional Chinese painting.

It has been acclaimed as the latest addition to the renowned Ten Sights of the West Lake.

The landscape depicts the most prominent sights and attractions around the West Lake. The buildings, temples, and pagodas merge seamlessly into the waterscape. All the elements cohere to form a harmonious whole.

In addition to the concrete subject matters, the work also conveys the intangible qualities of the West Lake. The imaginative richness and cultural significance accumulated over the centuries seem to come alive through Chen’s composition techniques and his perfect use of colors.

One of Chen Jialing's works on display. /CFP Photo

In addition to paintings, Chen Jialing also creates art in a wide range of mediums. In one of his most recent attempts, he created an array of ceramic water-containers. Decorated with lotus, they convey the poetic beauty of China’s graphic arts.

For Chen Jialing, artistic creativity is not confined to the studio. He has made a point of installing art into the design of everyday objects, ranging from furniture to fabrics. His exploration and innovation have blazed a new trail in artistic creation.

As the contemporary culture of China expands and prospers, the 80-year-old is determined to bring Chinese art to a broader audience.