Han Wu Peking Opera Works Collection

Author: Wang Wenhao (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Mr. Han Wu's father was a calligrapher specializing in portraits and also a theater enthusiast. While practicing calligraphy, he would strike the beat and sing. From a young age, Mr. Han followed his father, humming and singing along, imbibing the art through osmosis. During his childhood, lacking the opportunity to visit theaters, he often "hunkered down" at his neighbors' homes, listening to radios and gramophones, deeply absorbed and imitating the singing, earning the nickname "foreign student." During holiday gatherings, Mr. Han was occasionally invited to perform a few segments of "childlike tunes" on stage, earning a round of applause and cheers. His heart would always be filled with joy, longing for every day to be a day when he could sing.
At the age of twenty, he inherited his father's profession and took up painting as his career, but his passion for "singing opera" lingered in his mind, unforgettable. Between painting sessions, he would practice his vocal techniques and often participated in gatherings of amateur opera enthusiasts, performing a few segments of Yang (Baolin) school opera to satisfy his cravings, once dreaming of becoming a renowned amateur opera singer of the Yang school. In painting, he showcased his "talent for opera," creating a series of works featuring opera characters, gradually gaining recognition.
Even in this letter, the facial expressions are vivid, each traditional excerpt of opera comes to life. The works have original and coherent plots, representing a departure from his previous single-character Peking Opera paintings. Sheng (male roles), Dan (female roles), Jing (painted faces), Chou (clown roles), singing, reciting, acting, and acrobatics are all vividly depicted on the small sheet of paper, as ifing an opera stage where each character shines. Mr. Han once said: "Due to my limited talent and being an outsider to the art, I may make mistakes like striking a drum in the. But my only passion is for opera and my dedication to painting."