Anybody with some knowledge of 20th century Chinese art has heard the name Li Keran. A bright star in the firmament of Chinese ink-on-paper painting, Li is both an icon and a legend.
But even for those who have long admired and idolized the man and who have pored over every painting, a commemorative exhibition still comes as a rare treat.
Li Keran's brush remains powerful, a century after he was born and twenty years since the end of his life.
At the show's opening ceremony at the Beijing Fine Art Academy on Monday, Li's widow, Zou Peizhu, along with their daughter and two sons, made an announcement that they will donate one hundred and eight ink paintings, and thirty watercolors to the Beijing municipal government.
There's no finer way to pay homage to this master than to allowing everyone to enjoy his legacy.
Li Xiaoke, Li Keran's son, said, "The legacy of my father doesn't merely lie on its material value. He also left a spiritual wealth for our posterity. Along with other 20th century art masters, he elevated traditional ink and brush painting to new heights. That's why we have decided to donate his work so that more people can share his vision."
The impact of the exhibition derives from its unprecedented scope and depth. And like his paintings in which a layer of ink always progressed to something hidden beneath, Li Keran always seems to have another undiscovered dimension.
At the core is his pioneering spirit. Throughout his artistic career, Li consistently tried never to repeat himself, or copy any other painter. His struggles, setbacks and successes during his long journey come through in the showing.
The painter's belief was that Nature is by far the most eloquent of artists. That explains why, in Li Keran's works, natural scenery takes center stage. His most significant contribution was in his talent for creating something different from what had previously been done. Li travelled far and wide, often to the south where green-tinted landscapes are softened by the misty luminescence of light rainfall.
Chinese ink painting is never one dimensional. And Li enhanced the sense of dimension with his characteristic compositional rigor.
The exhibition is on view at the museum of the Beijing Fine Art Academy for a month.
(CCTV.com/ Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2009)
