Chinese Contemporary Painters Dictionary

Author: Jin Tengda
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-08-01
Features: The "Dictionary of Contemporary Chinese Ink Painting Artists" and "Dictionary of Contemporary Chinese Calligraphers" were compiled simultaneously, forming independent volumes while complementing each other. The dictionaries include: members of the China Artists Association (in ink painting), members of the China Calligraphers Association, chairpersons and secretaries of provincial, municipal, and autonomous regional artists' and calligraphers' associations, as well as outstanding members. Artists who passed away after October 1949 and were well-known, as well as those who achieved prominence but remained largely unknown, were also included. Entries are organized by province, municipal, or autonomous region and arranged alphabetically by stroke count based on simplified Chinese characters. The book introduces each inducted artist's name, age, native place, courtesy name, style name, biography, artistic style, and achievements, while also featuring their portrait photos and representative works to create a three-dimensional image. Considering the book's professionalism and academic nature, it primarily focuses on the artists' artistic careers and accomplishments, with other aspects generally not elaborated. The titles and positions of inducted artists are based on the latest available information at the time of compilation. Some artists hold multiple positions, but due to space constraints, only key roles are listed. Efforts have been made to provide objective, accurate, and fair evaluations of the artists' artistic characteristics and styles, though inaccuracies may still exist. Moreover, many artists continually improve, and future developments are unpredictable, so the evaluations should be regarded as references rather than definitive judgments. Entries were primarily compiled based on materials provided by the artists themselves, their families, or relevant calligraphy and painting organizations, with some references drawn from research materials. The number of entries per province, municipal, or autonomous region is uneven, primarily due to regional disparities and limited understanding of certain areas, resulting in incomplete submissions. Some eligible calligraphers and painters could not be included due to difficulties in contacting them for materials, and these entries will be added in future editions. Gathering information on deceased ink painters and calligraphers is challenging, especially obtaining portrait photos, biographies, and representative works simultaneously, leading to the exclusion of some renowned artists. Calligraphers and painters from Taiwan Province should have been compiled separately, but due to difficulties in collecting materials, this is currently left unfinished.