At the beginning of the new year, at the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC), a series of "Chinese red" paper-cut works decorate the warm and harmonious atmosphere. On January 9, the "NAMOC'Activation of Classic Collections’ Series Exhibition: A Magic Touch on Paper - Exhibition on Paper-cut Collected by NAMOC" welcomed the audience. This exhibition selects more than 260 pieces (sets) of exquisite paper-cut works from the collection to tell the unique cultural charm of paper-cut art and lead the new trend of traditional culture.

The exhibition is divided into three units. The first unit is themed "Genius Hands" and consists of eight folk paper-cutting masters' works: Wang Laoshang, Su Lanhua, Wang Jiru, Ku Shulan, Qi Xiumei, Cao Dianxiang, Gao Jinai and Gao Fenglian. The exhibition is also divided into two themed units based on the regional distribution and different practical functions of paper-cutting, "Ingenuity" and "Flower-cutting to welcome auspiciousness", in order to present the basic overview of Chinese folk paper-cutting in modern times.

In the exhibition hall, a group of opera character paper-cuts by the folk paper-cut master Wang Laoshang attracted the audience to stop and exclaim: "Small and exquisite, lifelike!" Wang Laoshang is the founder of Yu County's paper-cut sect. Yuxian paper-cutting is also called Yuxian window grille. According to legend, Wang Laoshang started learning to dye window grilles when he was seven or eight years old, and learned to carve window grilles when he was 12 or 13 years old. In his more than 40 years of artistic practice, he has created and re-created nearly a thousand window flower works, becoming the leading window flower artist at that time. The image of this master of folk art left to future generations is only a sketch.

In the upsurge of rescuing folk art in the 1980s, unknown but talented folk paper-cutting masters such as Ku Shulan and Gao Fenglian were discovered one after another, and their paper-cutting works were astonishing in the national palace. The debut caused huge repercussions in the Chinese art world. Under extremely difficult living conditions, they used their spare time to create stunning paper-cut works. Ku Shulan, known as the "flower-cutting lady", was awarded the title of "Outstanding Folk Art Master" by UNESCO in 1996, becoming the first Chinese to receive this title. Audiences can appreciate many of her classic paper-cut works in the exhibition.

"The National Art Museum of China has attached great importance to the collection, display and research of folk paper-cutting since its establishment. Over the past sixty years, the National Art Museum of China has collected more than 16,000 pieces (more than 6,200 sets) of paper-cut works from all over the country." the NAMOC director Wu Weishan said that China's folk paper-cutting is rooted in the deep soil of farming culture, with the fragrance of earth and the most authentic spiritual power. This exhibition aims to bring the works in the collection to life, tell the stories of China's excellent traditional culture, and let intangible cultural heritage shine with new brilliance in the new era.

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New works by famous artists presented at painting exhibition

Recently, the National Art Museum of China also launched "Salute to Bada Shanren - The First Nomination Exhibition for the Legacy of Bada Shanren’s Freehand Brushwork", which featured two specially invited artists, Jin Shangyi and Wu Weishan, as well as Zhou Shaohua, Cui Zhenkuan, Li Baolin, Zhang Lichen, Li Shinan, Liu Yunquan, Wu Yueshi. There are 46 freehand paintings created by nine nominated artists, Xiong Honggang and Liu Gang. Starting from the freehand paintings of Bada Shanren, the development of Chinese freehand paintings is sorted out.

Among them, "Bada Shanren" is one of Mr. Jin Shangyi's masterpieces. In 2008, Mr. Jin Shangyi himself donated it to the National Art Museum of China. The painting uses delicate brushstrokes to depict the scene of Bada Shanren, a master of flowers and birds in ancient China, taking off his bamboo hat and sitting on the land of Jiangxi. The artist painted the background as a river, leaving a small amount of sky, and led the audience's sight in a unified gray tone. The intersection of the era in which the characters in the painting live and the actual geographical location conveys a unique Chinese artistic conception.

In addition, one of the "Activation of Classic Collections" series exhibitions, "Mentor and Friend- 20th Century Huangshan Painting from the Collection of the National Art Museum of China" is also on display, with more than 60 pieces (sets) of 20th-century Huangshan paintings and related works from the collection. They display the magnificent mountains and rivers described by the artist, and use Huangshan Mountain as a perspective to observe the history of Chinese painting in the 20th century. The above exhibitions will be on display until January 23.

Translator: BAI Jing

Reviewer: ZHANG Bo