National First Small-Scale Watercolor Exhibition Works Collection

Author: Organizing Committee of the First National Small Watercolor Exhibition
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Watercolor painting has been introduced to China for nearly a century. Due to its unique lyrical character and elegant artistic charm, it has been deeply loved by intellectuals and the general public—especially the intellectual class. Artists often use it as a means for creative sketches and color practice. Since the reform and opening-up, watercolor painting has experienced rapid development. The number of watercolor painters, the level of creative standards, and the richness of works have surpassed any period in history. The 9th National Fine Arts Exhibition was able to set up a dedicated section for watercolor painting, which, from one perspective, serves as evidence of this point. In the past five years, the Watercolor Art Committee of the China Artists Association, as the most authoritative and influential academic institution for this art form nationwide, has made significant efforts to promote watercolor painting creation, unite and cultivate watercolor painters from various regions, strengthen international exchanges, and carry out theoretical research. The committee has worked to create watercolor paintings that embody Chinese style, national spirit, local characteristics, personal styles, and contemporary awareness. In recent years, the committee has organized or participated in planning the 5th and 6th National Watercolor and Pastel Exhibitions, the first National Pastel Theory Exhibition, and has also hosted the "National Watercolor Figure Painting Exhibition" to advocate for watercolor figure painting. To address the tendency of watercolor painting to detach from life and blindly imitate photographs in creation, it organized the "National Watercolor Painting Sketch Excellence Exhibition." To prevent the trend of ignoring the artistic principles of watercolor painting and increasingly large-scale works, it launched the "National Small Watercolor Painting Exhibition." From these activities, readers can easily trace the trajectory of contemporary watercolor painting development.