JOIN USWinding through mountains and luminous landscapes, River Li in China streams across an 83-kilometre-long waterway from Guilin City to Yangshuo County.
Its picturesque glory has made it synonymous with the idea of a river of poems and paintings. How dreamlike is that! It is such beautiful ideas that the artists have expressed through their paintings at a recently held Chinese Traditional Painting exhibition at India International Centre, Annexe.
A rich green foliage in the background highlights the serenity of River Li as the artist Li De Fu captures the beauty of the river through his painting ‘Boats on the River Li’. There are myriad other landscapes and portraits drawn out of the Chinese way of life in this exhibition presented by the India Association of Friendship with Foreign Countries (IAFFC) in joint collaboration with India International Centre (New Delhi), Beijing Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign countries( BPAFFC) and Beijing Municipal Institute of Culture and History (BMICHR).
There were 30 different paintings by various Chinese artists that dwelt upon the aesthetic and spiritual treasure troves from China. Amongst other themes, the works on display showcased nature, feelings of love and understanding of change of seasons in China through poetry, calligraphy, painting expressed through ink and brush strokes.
The eminent artists whose works were displayed included Hao Pu, a professor in Library Science who is an expert on Beijing’s local literature; Yu Yongmao, whose masterpieces comprise ‘Rain Clouds Wandering over the village by the river’ and ‘A River in Autumn’; Li Defu, known for producing magnificent stamp works and Ye Yongcai, one of the most influential aerial photographers in China. Later, the artists Li Defu and Yu Yongmao conducted lecture demonstrations for the Indian audience to create a better understanding about these traditional Chinese paintings.