【Topic2line】REALISM PAINTINGS: Dai Ze: Realist painter reveals China with his brushes

After painting for 80 years, a 96-year-old Chinese painter is finally getting his solo exhibition in Beijing. As a student of acclaimed Chinese painter Xu Beihong, Dai Ze has been painting historical events and Chinese sceneries in the style of realism over the past century. Take a look.

The simple white placards typically used to introduce each piece of art work has been replaced by diaries, manuscripts, letters and photos.

The National Museum of China is using the method of a first-person narrative to tell stories about Dai Ze's career in art, which spans 80 years.

ZHENG YAN CURATOR "Like most people, I didn't know much about Dai Ze. So when I was planning the exhibition, I chose to have himself introduce his own works and stories through his words. Dai preserved his diaries and letters with other artists. And we're presenting them at this exhibition."

Dai Ze was one of renowned Chinese painter Xu Beihong's best students. But it isn't until now, at the age of 96, that he's finally getting his own exhibition.

This exhibition provides a complete review of Dai's artistic and academic achievements. 190 pieces have been selected from over thousands of works -  all from different periods.

XIE XIAOQUAN, VICE PRESIDENT NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA "Dai Ze's art works mainly focus on two areas. One is the natural beauty he discovered in life, the other is the depiction of historical events. He learned from Xu Beihong and also inherited Xu's style of realism in his works. Some of his paintings were exhibited in Europe in the 1950s, which was important in promoting Chinese art to the west at that time."

Capturing the real China at different time periods was an important part of his art career. Dai visited many places across the country to observe real scenes, and learn about the history of places by himself.

The "Coachman", painted in 1948, and "Sign for Peace" painted in 1950, were selected for exhibition in Europe. The two works reflect Chinese society around the time of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Dai Ze also lived in Europe that year and developed an appreciation for western paintings and culture, which influenced his own style later on.

LI QIONG BEIJING "The early period of Dai Ze's style closes with realism, but in the latter part of his life, he created a series of traditional Chinese paintings that blended the best art techniques and styles of both the East and the West."

Dai Ze kept painting and creating art until 2016, when he reached the age of 94 years old. When he couldn't make it outside, he still painted things at home, and the views he could get through his windows.

ZHENG YAN CURATOR "Dai Ze's art style changed after he was diagnosed cataracts. Similar to Claude Monet's story, Dai Ze painted from instinct rather than visual capability. So his latest works were mostly about simple objects and views, just like what he painted when he got started."

The exhibition of Dai Ze's 80-year art career will run through May 20th, at the National Museum of China. LI QIONG, CGTN, BJ.