News| Artist Liu Haisu's Works Exhibited in Xuzhou Museum

      On the morning of Dec. 1st, 2017, "Special Exhibition for Liu Haisu's Works from the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts" opened in Xuzhou Museum. This exhibition was sponsored by Xuzhou Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Press and Publication, and Nanjing University of the Arts, and organized by Xuzhou Museum, the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts, and Liu Haisu Art Research Center. Leaders and guests present at the opening ceremony included Zhang Chengzhi, associate dean of Nanjing University of the Arts; Liu Qiu, the son of Mr. Liu Haisu; Li Xiaoshan, curator of the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts; Zhou Guangchun, deputy secretary-general of the People's Government of Xuzhou City; and Gao Chengfu, director and secretary of the party committee of Xuzhou Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Press and Publication.

      Zhou Guangchun, deputy secretary-general of the People's Government of Xuzhou City; Zhang Chengzhi, associate dean of Nanjing University of the Arts; and Liu Qiu, the son of Mr. Liu Haisu, addressed the exhibition, respectively. Mr. Zhou Guangchun conveyed enthusiastic congratulations on the opening ceremony. He suggested that Mr. Liu Haisu was both the pioneer of China's new art movement and the founder of modern art education. Mr. Liu advocated that art should express spirits, respect personality, and show our life; we should combine the oriental art with the western art, and use the essence of the western art for our own; we should initiate academic freedom and inclusiveness, which had allowed us to create a large amount of fine works and train many artistic talents. The works exhibited, including oil paintings, ink wash paintings, and calligraphy works, which were all created by Mr. Liu, reflected his artistic achievements, and contributed a cultural feast to the citizens.

     On behalf of Nanjing University of the Arts, Zhang Chengzhi expressed enthusiastic congratulations on the opening ceremony. He said that Xuzhou is a city renowned for calligraphy and paintings, with a profound, brilliant culture. It gave birth to a large number of master calligraphers and artists, who enjoyed high reputation in Chinese calligraphy and painting circles. In particular, this exhibition coincided with the 105th anniversary of Nanjing University of the Arts. The calligraphy and paintings in the Ming and Qing Dynasties from Xuzhou Museum were exhibited in Nanjing University of the Arts. In return, Nanjing University of the Arts brought Mr. Liu Haisu's fine works, in order to further cooperation and promote cultural exchanges between the two parties.

      As the family representative, Liu Qiu gave his appreciation for the sponsors, organizers, and work team. He made a special mention of the videos in the exhibition hall, which gave young people some knowledge about the background of works. He hoped they would appreciate the videos and find out some historical origins. That would be more interesting.

      In the opening ceremony, Mr. Li Xiaoshan, curator of the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts, donated Liu Haisu's album of paintings to Mr. Li Xiaojun, curator of Xuzhou Museum. Meanwhile, Mr. Zhang Chengzhi, associate dean of Nanjing University of the Arts, and Mr. Zhou Guangchun, deputy secretary-general of the People's Government of Xuzhou City, jointly inaugurated the "teaching practice base" of Nanjing University of the Arts based in Xuzhou Museum. On the afternoon of the opening, Mr. Liu Qiu, the son of Mr. Liu Haisu, entered the lecture hall of Xuzhou Museum and told the audience stories about his father's bumpy but splendid life of art in an informal way.

      "Special Exhibition for Liu Haisu's Works from the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts" is one of the "exchange activities of museum collections" devised and organized jointly by Xuzhou Museum and the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts. As the New Year's Eve exhibition of Xuzhou Museum, it totally displayed 31 calligraphy and painting items in three parts. It was the first time that these priceless art works by Mr. Liu Haisu were on display in Xuzhou, and were sponsored by Xuzhou Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Press and Publication, and Nanjing University of the Arts. Additionally, the VR technology was introduced, with which audience watched the exhibition online on mobile phones. The Colors Experience for Children were also launched for social education.
      The exhibition is in the Hall of Deng Yongqing's Collection of Calligraphy and Paintings, on 1F of Xuzhou Museum. It will last until Jan. 7, 2018 (closed on Monday).