Exhibition Time: April 2nd, 2022 - April 13th, 2022

Zhang Gongque (1923-2020), born in Shanghai, entered the China Academy of Art, which was relocated to Chongqing during the Anti-Japanese War, in 1945, and graduated from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou in 1948. Zhang Qing, deputy director of the National Art Museum of China, pointed out in his article “Painting When Thoughts Come: Artistic Choices in the Current Era” that “Zhang Gongque has always focused on the space, structure, color, and brushstrokes of the painting. In his opinion, the visual presentation of these aspects is enough to reveal his thoughts and emotions, while the specific images in the painting play a supporting role. He regards painting creation as the abstraction of daily life scenes, and the birth of outstanding works comes from the collision of time and space. He believes that the artist must grasp the fleeting feelings and comprehend the temporal and spatial context.”

Throughout his nearly century-long journey, Mr. Zhang Gongque remained steadfast in his artistic ideals and dedicated himself to modernist art creation. He is one of the representative painters of the second generation of Chinese artists engaged in modern art creation. His art began with studying impressionism during his student years and consciously moved towards expressionism and abstract art, forming the artistic viewpoint and aesthetic pursuit that “uncertain forms are abstractions”. In the era he experienced, when Western Impressionism and subsequent modern art were regarded as “invasive beasts”, this path was not only lonely but sometimes dangerous. With no ulterior motives, Zhang Gongque had the courage to persist in this path amid an unknown future. Modernism is about respecting individual thoughts, and Zhang Gongque’s independent creation spans eight decades, without collective ideology. Establishing his own style is a gift to Chinese modern art history. This exhibition showcases 24 of his oil paintings, representing different stages of Zhang Gongque’s artistic journey from the 1950s to before his passing.