Yuan Yunfu

Author: Yuan Yunfu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: Yuan Yunfu, born in May 1933 in Nantong, Jiangsu, is a professor, doctoral supervisor, and member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. In 1949, he studied at the Hangzhou National Art College (now renamed the China Academy of Art). He graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1954. In 1956, when the Central Academy of Arts & Design was established, he began teaching there. After the merger with Tsinghua University to form the Academy of Arts & Design, he continued to teach and served as the doctoral supervisor for the newly established public art discipline. From the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, he served as the department head of the Decorative Arts Department for fifteen years. In teaching, he emphasized the practice of "broad art," focusing on skill development and aesthetic education, advocating a strong foundation and broad specialization. He closely linked traditional Chinese handicraft techniques and materials to promote innovation and achieved excellent teaching results. He was awarded the First Prize in Outstanding Teaching Achievement in Higher Education in Beijing (the highest award in the arts field). Since the reform and opening-up, he has seized opportunities to participate in and lead numerous national large-scale mural and public art projects in creation, design, and production. Some representative works include: the acrylic and heavy-color mural at Beijing International Airport (1979); the large ceramic mural at Beijing Metro Jianguomen Station (1986); the large glass and metal suspended sculpture at Beijing Development Building (1989); the large colored stone sculpture with copper inlay at the entrance square of Beijing World Park (1991); the forged copper and gold bas-relief mural in the conference hall of the International Conference Center in Kathmandu, Nepal (1992); the overall art environment design and large-scale mural and sculpture creation for Guilin's "Huaxia Cultural Plaza" (1997). In response to the new century, China decided to cast a set of commemorative national ceremonial instruments—the large bronze chimes, stone chimes, and drums titled "China and Harmony"—for the Grand Hall of the Temple of Heaven. He served as the chief art designer (1999). For the newly built Beijing Airport Terminal, he painted a large Chinese heavy-color mural in the "Immigration Hall" to complement the architectural space's visual needs (2000). For Beijing's "China Millennium Monument," he designed and produced the large circular mural and the overall environment, serving as the chief art designer (2001). The theme mural in the Shandong Hall of the Great Hall of the People (2002), and so on. His exhibition works, including ink paintings and tapestry designs, have been showcased in numerous solo exhibitions at venues such as the National Art Museum of China, He Xiangning Art Museum, Qingdao Art Museum, Nantong Exhibition Hall, and Nanjing Normal University Art Museum.