Chinese Oil Painting Ten: Yu Xiaofu

Author: Wang He
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: The introduction of European oil painting to China initially was merely a new painting technique adopted and utilized by Chinese painters. However, after a century of exploration, oil painting has today become a language for Chinese painters to freely express their thoughts and emotions. Art knows no boundaries, and oil painting is a universally recognized category in the international art world. Yet, Chinese oil paintings created by Chinese artists carry a unique cultural essence of China. Through the "Chinese Oil Landscape," one can see the history and rich content of contemporary Chinese society, as well as the prolific artistic styles and diverse personalities of the painters. In a sense, Chinese oil painting is a rich visual cultural reader of contemporary Chinese art. Selecting the works of ten outstanding Chinese oil painters for publication is a highly academic endeavor. These ten painters represent different periods in the mid-20th century, whether they lived in China or resided abroad. Through long-term exploration and accumulation, they have created distinctive artistic styles. Their works have had a significant impact on both the international art community and the general public, and their artistic achievements have become symbols of China's exchange with the world. The personal experiences and artistic orientations of these ten painters vary. In terms of themes, some focus on social phenomena, while others emphasize psychological expression. In terms of artistic form, some lean toward figurative representation, while others favor abstract expression. However, their art shares a common cultural feature: based on the study of Western oil painting techniques, they have integrated China's own cultural traditions, particularly the concept of harmony between nature and humanity and the method of unifying the depiction of the external world with the expression of the inner world. This gives their works a unique Chinese cultural imprint. In today's context of economic globalization, the shared space for international art has expanded. These ten painters, through their unique artistic languages, embody the spirit of the times, humanity, nature, and trees, leaving an indelible mark on the history of contemporary art. The World Knowledge Publishing House has chosen these painters to promote the achievements of Chinese oil painting in international cultural exchanges. We believe that these artists' works, as representatives of Chinese art, will engage audiences from diverse cultural backgrounds in broader cultural spaces, thereby achieving the purpose of connecting hearts and minds and enhancing cultural understanding.
Yu Xiaofu, born in Shanghai in 1950, is a native of Wujiang, Jiangsu. He graduated from the Oil Painting Department of the Fine Arts College of Shanghai Theater Academy in 1978. That same year, he joined the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute, where he engaged in oil painting creation. He is currently the Vice Director of the Shanghai Oil Painting and Sculpture Institute, a First-Class Fine Artist, and a member of the China Artists Association. He specializes in oil painting and sequential art. His works include "Last Performance," which won the Excellence Award at the first "China Oil Painting Exhibition," as well as representative works such as "I Knock Gently," "The Pigeons of Gratitude," "Displacement," and "Reading the Handnotes of Great Figures." In 1994, he organized and initiated the "New Studio" artistic group. His oil painting "I, Gently Knocking—Commemorating and Impressioning the Late Qing Shanghai Artists Wu Changshuo, Ren Bo'nan, Xu Gu, and Pu Zuoying" is also notable. His sequential art "Root" won the Second National Sequential Art Creation Award for Excellence.