On March 2, 2025, the "Transmitting and Imitating: Exhibition of Chinese Painting Copying Teaching Works of the Central Academy of Fine Arts" was opened. The exhibition was hosted by the Central Academy of Fine Arts and undertaken by the Chinese Painting Academy of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and CAFA Art Museum. This exhibition showcases more than 300 pieces of copied works, sketches for teaching students, and works transformed from copying to original creation in the Chinese painting copying teaching of the Central Academy of Fine Arts over the past century. The aim is to explore the academic value and contemporary novelty of the ancient method of "transmitting and imitating" in the teaching of Chinese painting in contemporary higher art academies, and to discuss the profound connotations and positive significance of the cognitive system of Chinese painting in the context of globalization.
Jin Shangyi, Honorary Chairman of the China Artists Association and former President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Feng Yuan, Deputy Director of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History, Zhang Lichen, a senior professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Lin Mao, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Qiu Ting, Dean of the Chinese Painting Academy of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. Xu Yang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, announced the opening of the exhibition.
Senior artists who have long devoted their efforts to the teaching of Chinese painting and shown care and support for the construction of the Chinese painting discipline, such as Jiang Caiping, Li Baolin, Lou Jiaben, Wang Tongren, Ma Zhensheng, Guo Yicong, Xie Zhigao, Jiang Baolin, Du Dakai, Li Yan, Sun Jingbo, Liu Zhengcheng, Tang Yongli, and other gentlemen, attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition and viewed the exhibits.
Fan Di'an, President of the China Artists Association and former President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Zhao Weidong, Executive Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Committee, Liu Xuejun, Director of the China Broadcasting Art Troupe, Liu Wanming, Vice President of the China Artists Association and President of the National Academy of Painting, An Yuanyuan, Secretary of the Party Committee of the National Art Museum of China, Zhao Dong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Director of Rongbaozhai Co., Ltd., Li Hongqiang, President of the People's Fine Arts Publishing House, Han Yun, Deputy President of the Higher Education Press of the Ministry of Education, Yang Xiaoyang, President of the China Culture and Art Development Promotion Association and former President of the National Academy of Painting, Xu Li, former Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the China Artists Association, Lu Yushun, former President of the National Academy of Painting, Qi Haifeng, Vice President of the China Artists Association, He Jiaying, former Vice President, Liu Jian, former Secretary General, Wan Jie, Chairman of the Artron Group, Tian Zhong, President of the Hebei Fine Arts Publishing House, as well as the heads of well-known national art institutions and art colleges, the leadership team of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and members of the Academic Committee attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition. Wang Xiaolin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, presided over the opening ceremony.
Lin Mao, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, delivered a speech.
In his speech, Lin Mao stated that since the last century, the Central Academy of Fine Arts has taken the teaching system of "the trinity" of copying, sketching, and creating as its core to lay the foundation for the education of the Chinese Painting Academy, integrating the long-standing tradition of Chinese painting into the modern education system. He mentioned that Chinese painting should not only safeguard its cultural essence but also explore new languages and forms. Just as Mr. Li Keran mentioned on multiple occasions: "Sink in with the greatest effort and break out with the greatest courage." This two-way path of inheritance and innovation is precisely the key to keeping Chinese painting vibrant in the contemporary era. This exhibition is a historical sorting out and presentation of the teaching achievements of Chinese painting copying at the Central Academy of Fine Arts since its establishment. "Transmitting and imitating" is not only a reflection on the essence of contemporary Chinese painting but also a new opportunity to explore the training mode and discourse system for professional talents in Chinese painting in the new era. The school will also strive to cultivate outstanding talents with a sense of social responsibility and cultural mission of the times, making more contributions to building a strong educational and cultural country.
Jin Shangyi, Honorary Chairman of the China Artists Association and former President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, delivered a speech
In his speech, Mr. Jin Shangyi traced back the historical traditions of Chinese painting over the past thousand years and the development process of Chinese painting teaching over the past hundred years. He mentioned that artistic creation should reflect people's lives. In the Chinese painting teaching system, sketching classes have been added, enabling teachers and students to paint real people with distinct personalities to solve the problem of figure modeling, thus establishing a teaching system of "the trinity" of copying, sketching, and creating. He stated that in Chinese painting teaching, there is no need to debate the issues of "integration of Chinese and Western art" and "maintaining a distance." We should strengthen the role of traditional culture and make copying, an important way to learn from traditions, better combine with sketching, which aims to "solve the problem of figures and reflect life," so as to develop our Chinese painting.
Feng Yuan, Deputy Director of the Central Research Institute of Culture and History, delivered a speech
In his speech, Feng Yuan stated that this exhibition has threefold significance: Firstly, it is about "reviewing the old and learning the new," looking back and sorting out the historical context of Chinese painting teaching over the past hundred years. Secondly, it combines the current teaching issues, explores the correlations among the purposes, functions, and methods, and further excavates deeper academic significance. Thirdly, it adheres to the right path and promotes innovation, highlighting the practical value of the "two innovations" and deeply grasping the distinct characteristics of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. With the theme of "Transmitting and Imitating," the exhibition not only presents the teaching and educating methods of the Central Academy of Fine Arts that take copying as the foundation and an important link in the tradition but also provides many new topics. It is hoped that Chinese painting will have a broader space in its future development and in the exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations. It is also hoped that the Central Academy of Fine Arts will continue to play a leading role in the innovative development of Chinese painting teaching across the country.
Zhang Lichen, a senior professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, delivered a speech
Mr. Zhang Lichen stated that the Central Academy of Fine Arts has always been grounded in the excellent traditional Chinese culture and has been showcasing Chinese art to the world with the achievements of traditional Chinese painting teaching. "Transmitting and Imitating" is one of the "Six Principles of Painting" put forward by Xie He in his "Record of Ancient Paintings". It is an important way for the inheritance of Chinese painting, having its own unique development form, and has also become an important method in the teaching of Chinese painting during the process of artistic development. At the Academy of Fine Arts, "taking the copying class seriously" has always been the commitment of teachers and students majoring in Chinese painting. The exhibition not only showcases the outstanding works of the copying practices of generations of teachers and students but also provides a concentrated demonstration for the future teaching of Chinese painting.
Qiu Ting, Dean of the Chinese Painting Academy of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, delivered a speech
Qiu Ting briefly introduced the curatorial situation of this exhibition. He particularly mentioned that the exhibition design showcases eight discussions on "transmitting and imitating" from painting theories of different dynasties. Traditional classics are "inspiring", and tracing back to these traditional classics has a sense of "experimentation" and "openness", which reflects the cultural spirit of the Chinese people's exploration of the relationship between "the ancient and the new" over thousands of years. In the era of fragmentation, Chinese art has the soft power to soothe people's hearts and the cultural plasticity to mend the broken models. By sorting out the achievements of Chinese painting copying teaching in the National Beiping Art School over the past hundred years, this exhibition presents a complete cognitive learning system of Chinese painting. At the same time, taking this exhibition as a starting point, the Chinese Painting Academy of the Central Academy of Fine Arts should shoulder the responsibility of the times to deeply explore, reconstruct, and innovatively transform traditional culture, and jointly explore the possibilities of Chinese painting's "beginning, development, transition, and conclusion, and its continuous growth".
Xu Yang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, announced the opening of the exhibition.
Wang Xiaolin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, presided over the opening ceremony
■ The Scene of Visiting the Exhibition ____________
At the Exhibition Site
