At the 100th anniversary of Central Academy of Fine Arts, President Xi replied the letter by the eight senior professors of CAFA, including Mr. Zhou Lingzhao. He greeted the professors sincerely, and raised his hope for aesthetic education and the promotion of Chinese aesthetic educational spirit. In the letter, President Xi wrote: For a long time, you have been working hard in your field, imparting knowledge and educating people while focusing on art creations, contributing greatly to the Party and the people; Growing old doesn’t affect your original aspirations. Your heart is still in the cultivation of the nation’s young successors. I’m especially touched by comrades like Zhou Lingzhao, who still carry on the career of aesthetic education and art creation persistently even when they are turning centenarians. I extend my sincere greetings to you.” President Xi’s high appraisal to the professors has greatly encouraged teachers and students in CAFA, as well as the larger group of artists and art educators.
An artist’s life experience, art creation and cultural contribution could last till today after a century, it is the evidence of Mr. Zhou Lingzhao’s glorious status in the development of modern Chinese art. As we back on the development of Chinese art and art education in the 20th century, the development of new China’s art, art design and art education, we can deeply realize that Mr. Zhou Lingzhao’s life and art is a voluminous book rich in meaning and colors. He devoted himself in the national liberation cause with art, made art for China for his entire life, and made excellent contribution to the society and people with superb works.
Mr. Zhou Lingzhao was born in Pingjiang County, Hunan Province. He studied at the Changsha Central China College of Fine Arts and Wuchang College of Fine Arts, and established deep patriotic feelings and strong artistic ideal. After the explosion of the Anti-Japanese War, Mr. Zhou Lingzhao devoted himself actively in the anti-Japanese publicity, created anti-war posters and held anti-enemy exhibition tour, and participated in the painting of the large mural “Nationwide War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression” in Wuhan’s Yellow Crane Tower. In the 1940s, he went to the border between Yunnan and Myanmar, recorded the life in the flames of war with his paint brush. The fight of Chinese people against invaders for independence and liberation is also an epic imbued with blood and fire. Mr. Zhou Lingzhao is a participant and witness of history and a documenter. His life story has also become a legend in the modern Chinese art history.
At the time that new China was founded, Mr. Zhou Lingzhao undertook a great number of important art design works with ardor. With his wife Chen Ruoju, they painted the portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong at the Founding Ceremony of the Nation, highlighting his high spirit while celebrating the birth of new China. He participated in the design of the emblem of the People’s Republic of China, the emblem of the CPPCC and the flag of Young Pioneers of China. He is the chief designer of the flag of the Communist Youth League, Order of August 1 of the PLA, Order of Independence and Freedom, Order of Liberation, and the second to the fourth edition of RMB bills. He is one of the main artists that participated in the construction of the visual image of new China. With brand-new art image, he ‘designed’ brand-new national image, brimming with the contemporary spirit of the rise of new China and Chinese people.
Mr. Zhou Lingzhao is versatile in art creation. He cares about change of the time and new atmosphere of contemporary life, creating a great number of innovative works with multiple artistic forms and languages. His oil painting May 4th Movement recreates the important historical events in modern China, and is regarded as a representative 1950s revolutionary history painting. He digs deep into life, maintains close relationship with the people, travels around the country, and represents social construction, production and labor, the natural scenery of China and the life of people in the form of sketch, water color, gouache, ink and color painting, oil painting, publicity poster and illustration. His works are brimmed with vigor and poetic freshness. He concentrates on the studies of folk art, and initiates a decorative modern folk art style with innovations in composition, modeling, color and lines. He devotes himself to the revival of mural art. His murals, from Unification of World People in the 1950s, to White Cloud and Yellow Crane created in the beginning of the Reform and Opening-up, have become representation of Chinese Mural Art’s exploration in the new national art style.
Mr. Zhou Lingzhao is indifferent to fame and fortune, and dedicated to the cultivation of art talents. He is also one of the founders of the design discipline and mural discipline in new China. After the Reform and Opening-up, Mr. Zhou Lingzhao participated in the construction of the first ever mural painting department in the higher art education system of China, and became the first dean of the National Painting Studio of the Mural Painting Department. In his teaching, he emphasized the inheritance and innovation of national and folk art traditions, which reflects his cultural confidence as an art master.
One year after President Xi Jinping replied the letter of eight professors including Mr. Zhou Lingzhao, here we unveil the “Art for a New China: A Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Professor Zhou Lingzhao's Birth” exhibition. The Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House also published a book of Mr. Zhou’s designs and paintings, to extend their warmest respect and best wishes to centenarian Mr. Zhou Lingzhao. At the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, we should learn and study Mr. Zhou Lingzhao’s artistic contribution to new China, and review and summarize the historic achievement and precious experience of the art of new China, as it has positive, realistic meaning on the development of Chinese art education of the new era, the promotion of art creation, and the accomplishment of aesthetic education. We should inherit the demeanor of the artists of older generations, such as Mr. Zhou Lingzhao, to educate students with a heart of big love, and create works with the art of grand beauty, and make new contributions to CAFA and Chinese art in the next century.
Fan Di'an
August 2019
At the 100th anniversary of Central Academy of Fine Arts, President Xi replied the letter by the eight senior professors of CAFA, including Mr. Zhou Lingzhao. He greeted the professors sincerely, and raised his hope for aesthetic education and the promotion of Chinese aesthetic educational spirit. In the letter, President Xi wrote: For a long time, you have been working hard in your field, imparting knowledge and educating people while focusing on art creations, contributing greatly to the Party and the people; Growing old doesn’t affect your original aspirations. Your heart is still in the cultivation of the nation’s young successors. I’m especially touched by comrades like Zhou Lingzhao, who still carry on the career of aesthetic education and art creation persistently even when they are turning centenarians. I extend my sincere greetings to you.” President Xi’s high appraisal to the professors has greatly encouraged teachers and students in CAFA, as well as the larger group of artists and art educators.
An artist’s life experience, art creation and cultural contribution could last till today after a century, it is the evidence of Mr. Zhou Lingzhao’s glorious status in the development of modern Chinese art. As we back on the development of Chinese art and art education in the 20th century, the development of new China’s art, art design and art education, we can deeply realize that Mr. Zhou Lingzhao’s life and art is a voluminous book rich in meaning and colors. He devoted himself in the national liberation cause with art, made art for China for his entire life, and made excellent contribution to the society and people with superb works.
Mr. Zhou Lingzhao was born in Pingjiang County, Hunan Province. He studied at the Changsha Central China College of Fine Arts and Wuchang College of Fine Arts, and established deep patriotic feelings and strong artistic ideal. After the explosion of the Anti-Japanese War, Mr. Zhou Lingzhao devoted himself actively in the anti-Japanese publicity, created anti-war posters and held anti-enemy exhibition tour, and participated in the painting of the large mural “Nationwide War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression” in Wuhan’s Yellow Crane Tower. In the 1940s, he went to the border between Yunnan and Myanmar, recorded the life in the flames of war with his paint brush. The fight of Chinese people against invaders for independence and liberation is also an epic imbued with blood and fire. Mr. Zhou Lingzhao is a participant and witness of history and a documenter. His life story has also become a legend in the modern Chinese art history.
At the time that new China was founded, Mr. Zhou Lingzhao undertook a great number of important art design works with ardor. With his wife Chen Ruoju, they painted the portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong at the Founding Ceremony of the Nation, highlighting his high spirit while celebrating the birth of new China. He participated in the design of the emblem of the People’s Republic of China, the emblem of the CPPCC and the flag of Young Pioneers of China. He is the chief designer of the flag of the Communist Youth League, Order of August 1 of the PLA, Order of Independence and Freedom, Order of Liberation, and the second to the fourth edition of RMB bills. He is one of the main artists that participated in the construction of the visual image of new China. With brand-new art image, he ‘designed’ brand-new national image, brimming with the contemporary spirit of the rise of new China and Chinese people.
Mr. Zhou Lingzhao is versatile in art creation. He cares about change of the time and new atmosphere of contemporary life, creating a great number of innovative works with multiple artistic forms and languages. His oil painting May 4th Movement recreates the important historical events in modern China, and is regarded as a representative 1950s revolutionary history painting. He digs deep into life, maintains close relationship with the people, travels around the country, and represents social construction, production and labor, the natural scenery of China and the life of people in the form of sketch, water color, gouache, ink and color painting, oil painting, publicity poster and illustration. His works are brimmed with vigor and poetic freshness. He concentrates on the studies of folk art, and initiates a decorative modern folk art style with innovations in composition, modeling, color and lines. He devotes himself to the revival of mural art. His murals, from Unification of World People in the 1950s, to White Cloud and Yellow Crane created in the beginning of the Reform and Opening-up, have become representation of Chinese Mural Art’s exploration in the new national art style.
Mr. Zhou Lingzhao is indifferent to fame and fortune, and dedicated to the cultivation of art talents. He is also one of the founders of the design discipline and mural discipline in new China. After the Reform and Opening-up, Mr. Zhou Lingzhao participated in the construction of the first ever mural painting department in the higher art education system of China, and became the first dean of the National Painting Studio of the Mural Painting Department. In his teaching, he emphasized the inheritance and innovation of national and folk art traditions, which reflects his cultural confidence as an art master.
One year after President Xi Jinping replied the letter of eight professors including Mr. Zhou Lingzhao, here we unveil the “Art for a New China: A Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Professor Zhou Lingzhao's Birth” exhibition. The Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House also published a book of Mr. Zhou’s designs and paintings, to extend their warmest respect and best wishes to centenarian Mr. Zhou Lingzhao. At the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, we should learn and study Mr. Zhou Lingzhao’s artistic contribution to new China, and review and summarize the historic achievement and precious experience of the art of new China, as it has positive, realistic meaning on the development of Chinese art education of the new era, the promotion of art creation, and the accomplishment of aesthetic education. We should inherit the demeanor of the artists of older generations, such as Mr. Zhou Lingzhao, to educate students with a heart of big love, and create works with the art of grand beauty, and make new contributions to CAFA and Chinese art in the next century.
Fan Di'an
August 2019
