Landscape - Huang Gesheng - China

I inherited this painting from my uncle, who bought it in 2001 from the artist Huang Gesheng.

At the top right of the painting you can see the first two lines from the Tang Poem (Shan Xing, "mountain walk") by Du Mu (803-852).
Literally:
"far up, the stone path winds along the cold mountain, where the clouds rise, there lives a house".

About Huang Gesheng:
Huang Gesheng was born in 1950 in Wuxuan County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. After graduating from Guangxi Academy of Fine Arts in 1982, he remained there as a teacher. His paintings express a sense of scholarly pleasure and modernity. He is skilled at presenting the scenic view of Guilin and the unique charm of Guangxi people. His flower-and-bird paintings show a touch of freshness and elegance. He currently serves as the President of the Association for the Promotion of the Lijiang Painting School. He has previously held positions such as Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party, and President of Guangxi Arts University. He has also exhibited his artworks in countries such as the United States and the Netherlands, and in regions like China’s Taiwan Province. He has published over 40 collections and albums of his paintings. His renowned masterwork is the Chinese painting scroll Hundred Miles of the Lijiang River, and his painting Lijiang River Amidst Misty Rain traveled into space aboard Shenzhou VI, the manned spacecraft.

Extract from the CNS interview (2024-07-14):
CNS: How did you learn and develop a passion for Chinese painting? What are the distinctive characteristics of Chinese painting, and what is its essence?
Huang Gesheng: My interest in fine arts is innate. I started doodling on mud walls as soon as I could stand up and walk. At 72, I’m still painting. Painting has always been a passion I ardently pursue.
Chinese painting is created with a brush dipped in water, ink, and colors on silk or paper, reflecting the ancients’ understanding of nature, society, and their connections with politics, philosophy, religion, morality, literature, and nature, among others.
Chinese painting encompasses profound knowledge in literature, calligraphy, history, philosophy, politics, and sociology, and showcases the breadth of Chinese culture. It serves as a “business card” that represents the good image of the Chinese nation. It can depict the characteristics and beauty of different periods in Chinese history, embodying the insights, character, psychology, and temperament of the Chinese people.
The long scroll Along the River During the Qingming Festival by the Northern Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan vividly portrays the cityscape of the capital city, Dongjing (also known as Bianjing, today’s Kaifeng in Henan), and the life of people from all walks of life. It is an unparalleled masterpiece in the history of Chinese and even global painting, now recognized as a national treasure with significant historical and artistic value.
Chinese painting, as it has evolved, encompasses various genres and styles from different artists and schools. It has gradually formed three major categories: landscapes, figures, and flowers and birds. Chinese painting possesses unique artistic expressions and aesthetic features, making it an essential component of fine traditional Chinese culture.

CNS: What differences do you see between Chinese and Western paintings, and do you think Chinese painting should conform to Western aesthetic principles?
Huang Gesheng: In the 20th century, there was a trend of “using Western painting to transform Chinese painting.” Western-style sketching temporarily replaced the traditional comprehensive training in Chinese painting that combines both technique and artistic essence. Some artists even advocated the idea of using Western painting to reform Chinese painting.
While creating Hundred Miles of the Lijiang River, I considered whether to depict the Lijiang River in a Western abstract style or to adopt the traditional Chinese realistic approach. After careful consideration, I chose the latter.
Chinese culture is a vast and unique system. In comparison to Western culture, it possesses distinct characteristics. These cultures cannot replace each other, but they can certainly influence each other. Chinese painting, as a part of the fine traditional Chinese culture, follows a relatively stable pattern of development and rhythm. It shouldn’t change its course to suit Western preferences.
We can certainly learn from Western painting in areas such as form and color expression. It’s a way to complement our own shortcomings. However, we should avoid blindly copying or imitating the entire cultural context of a foreign land.
When I first went to the United States in the mid-1980s, China’s economic development was not very advanced, and Westerners didn’t have a deep understanding of Chinese culture. In comparison to artworks by Western painters, some masterpieces by Chinese painters were remarkably affordable. Some Westerners even asked me, "Did China learn its culture from Japan?"
As China’s comprehensive national strength grows, the Western world has gradually come to recognize the value of Chinese traditional art forms like Chinese painting. This recognition has sparked increased interest in understanding and learning about them. The status of Chinese painting in the global art scene has risen, and the value of Chinese artworks has been steadily increasing.
Chinese painting artworks, though they may be just small pieces of paper, hold immense value due to the depth of Chinese culture and the historical significance they carry. Each painting is unique and irreplaceable, crafted through the artist’s long-term dedication and practice.

CNS: How can traditional Chinese painting innovate and develop more effectively in the present times?
Huang Gesheng: Traditional Chinese painting should evolve with the times and inherit the excellent elements from tradition.
Innovations in Chinese painting should focus on creating new thematic ideas and content and generating fresh artistic concepts and spirits, rather than merely seeking new subject matter or working in isolation to develop unique techniques.
Faced with a diverse cultural landscape, Chinese painting should maintain the purity of brush and ink. Young artists should delve deeper into traditional culture, and enhance self-cultivation and artistic aesthetic abilities, thereby creating new stylistic characteristics.
Artists must wholeheartedly devote themselves, be willing to endure solitude, diligently practice brushwork and composition, enhance their literary and artistic cultivation, and judiciously incorporate new materials. Only then can they contribute to the innovative development of Chinese painting.

CNS: As the head of the Lijiang Painting School, how do you believe the school can better showcase the essence of traditional Chinese painting and promote international artistic exchange and cooperation?
Huang Gesheng: Art is not an ivory tower; it is closely connected to social life. It uses its unique language to record and reflect historical changes.
The Lijiang Painting School was established following the creation of Hundred Miles of the Lijiang River. This school of painting is characterized by its emphasis on sketching and lifelike representation. It exhibits the typical southern style with warmth, tranquility, vividness, a sense of family, grandeur, and openness.
As a regional school of painting, our artists should first and foremost dedicate themselves to creating works that reflect the unique characteristics of Guangxi. This will enable their pieces to better demonstrate Guangxi’s charm and embody the essence of traditional Chinese painting.
Fine art is a universal language that knows no boundaries. Advancing international artistic exchanges can convey China’s goodwill and help dispel misunderstandings. Guangxi, being geographically close to ASEAN countries and sharing cultural ties, is actively working to establish the Lijiang Painting School as an internationally renowned art brand. This effort aims to promote cooperation and exchanges between Guangxi and countries and regions along the Belt and Road, with a particular focus on ASEAN countries.
In recent years, with the support of Guangxi Arts University, I have advocated for the establishment of China’s first undergraduate college named after “Chinese Painting” – the Academy of Chinese Painting of Guangxi Arts University. This institution has nurtured thousands of students who are in different parts of the world.
The Lijiang Painting School has organized activities like the “Malaysia–Guangxi Cultural Boat - Lijiang Painting School Masterpieces Exhibition” and the “Lijiang Painting School Silk Road Journey,” introducing a series of outstanding artworks. Artists from the school have also traveled to countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea to draw inspiration, engage in artistic exchanges, and promote traditional Chinese ink painting.
Going forward, the Lijiang Painting School plans to organize art exhibitions in countries along the Belt and Road, with a focus on ASEAN countries to facilitate Guangxi’s role as a bridge and link in cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in the field of art.

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