The deep affection for hometown that cannot be left behind... Zhang Yuan Art Museum opened in his hometown of Xinzhuang, a first-class retrospective work | Zhang Yuan | hometown
She comes from a family of artists in Xinzhuang, inheriting the academic style of Zhang Shoucheng, Lu Xiuping, and Lu Yifei from a young age, and studying under famous families such as Jiang Hanting, Yu Zicai, and Liu Danzhai
She has multiple identities, not only serving as a member of the Shanghai Artists Association, the Shanghai Calligraphers Association, and a senior painter at the Shanghai Academy of Painting and Calligraphy, but also a librarian at the Shanghai Cultural and Historical Research Museum, as well as a researcher at the Calligraphy and Painting Research Institute of the Central Cultural and Historical Research Museum. Her work "Moonlight in the Pine Forest" was included in the "Selected Works of Chinese Female Painters" in 1983
Her painting style is elegant and elegant, with excellent craftsmanship and writing skills. She is particularly skilled in flowers, birds, and landscapes, and her Shanghai style painting art is rich and passionate
On July 12th, the Zhang Yuan Art Museum, which had been preparing for two years, officially opened. Mr. Zhang Yuan, a famous painter who was almost old, returned to her hometown - Xinzhuang, Minhang. Along with her, there were 91 works by Zhang Yuan and his father Mr. Zhang Shoucheng, fulfilling their wish of returning to their hometown and returning to their roots.
On the opening day, Zhang Yuan officially donated 91 works to the Minhang District People's Government. As the opening exhibition - "Deep Love in Hometown", more than 70 works were exhibited in the museum, allowing citizens to glimpse the traces and emotional journey of Zhang Yuan's exploration and practice of Chinese painting.
"Xinzhuang is my hometown. My father Zhang Shoucheng, mother Lu Xiuping, and uncle Lu Yifei were all the first disciples of the painting master Wu Hufan's' Meijing Bookstore '. I also painted from elementary school under the family atmosphere and influence. This time, donating my father and my works to my hometown Minhang is also a way for us to return to our roots. The Zhang Yuan Art Museum, built by the district and town governments after two years, opened today. I hope to allow the citizens of my hometown to receive more artistic education and beauty infiltration." At the scene, Zhang Yuan expressed his deep affection for his hometown.
Works: Return to Bird Words Sunset 2013
She also specially introduced a work called "Returning Birds at Sunset", which was created by Mr. Zhang Yuan in 2013 inspired by two ancient ginkgo trees in Xinzhuang. These two ancient ginkgo trees, still standing on Xinjian Road, were once the place where Mr. Zhang Yuan's father and brothers, Zhang Shoucheng, grew up in their childhood, and also embody Mr. Zhang Yuan's nostalgia for his hometown.
From 2021, Zhang Yuan returned to Xinzhuang, and by 2023, the completion of the Zhang Yuan Art Museum also demonstrated the courage and determination of Minhang and Xinzhuang to enhance regional cultural soft power. Cultural facilities and cultural blocks, as the backbone of the urban cultural system, can most intuitively demonstrate cultural soft power. This time, Xinzhuang has taken out a prime location to create a public cultural space, integrating cultural imprints with urban construction, and making attempts and innovations in operating models. The first floor of the art museum has specially introduced the "Jufu Cafe" for visitors to rest. As a supporting catering service for Zhang Yuan Art Museum, the caf é will take inspiration from artist Zhang Yuan's paintings to design cultural and creative items such as coffee cups, pillows, and trays, and regularly hold Chinese painting exhibitions.
The design and construction of the Zhang Yuan Art Museum is particularly ingenious. "We want to create a small and exquisite art museum, which is different from other art museums, so many small ideas were integrated into the design at the beginning." Sun Yongkang, the design director of Zhang Yuan Art Museum, said that due to the small area of Zhang Yuan Art Museum, which is only over 600 square meters, in terms of spatial structure, in order to better display Mr. Zhang Yuan's works and provide a better environment to showcase the works of other artists, the art museum adopts a combination of movable walls and fixed exhibitions, achieving the coexistence of temporary and fixed exhibitions in one space.
It is reported that the art museum adopts professional lighting equipment, which makes the overall visual experience very comfortable through neutral color light. Not only can citizens focus their attention on the artwork while watching, but good lighting also provides protection for the artwork.
In the future, the Zhang Yuan Art Museum will regularly select representative artist works for exhibitions, focusing on building it into another important cultural exchange and appreciation platform, cultural heritage inheritance and innovation base in Minhang, attracting more art masters and cultural celebrities to gather in Minhang, and leading the regional cultural trend.
