About

Tiger Series Chinese Painting Exhibition 2022

Exhibition Introduction ©Jier Art:

Artist Chenjun Wu brings his 12 Chinese Paintings of “Tiger Series” on display in the Jier Art Online Exhibition Hall. The theme of the exhibition corresponds the Chinese New Year of Tiger. The “Tiger Series” mainly focuses on small and medium size paintings, which are lyrical and can show his pen and ink attainments and aesthetic appeal.

The small and medium size paintings are characterized by simple content and freedom of expression. They are interesting and concise and deep in meaning. Although it is called “little”, it requires the artist to have a substantial and strong creative personality, and to be able to achieve the state of carefree and easy-going painting skills. With “Tiger” as the theme, the artist’s continuous changes in creative techniques carry the inner vitality of the work and contain his unique emotions.

<Little Tiger I>

Next to the painting, there is an inscribed word “a lovely tiger in my heart, and a fine smell of roses”, just like the painting expressing one’s nature and entertaining oneself, which reflects the theme in a humorous way and comedic plot. Chenjun Wu is full of innovative spirit and has made a breakthrough in the function of Chinese painting, attracting the tiger with roses, reducing the didacticism of traditional meaning and narrowing the distance between the work and the audiences.

Chinese painting artists have been fond of painting tigers since ancient times, and the various poses of tigers symbolize different meanings. In this exhibition, there are calm and ready tigers, as well as lively and simple cubs. When Chenjun Wu paints, the layout is bold, depicting the tiger’s “mighty”, the outline is dexterous and meticulous, depicting the tiger’s “spirit”. His elegant and clear talents, condensed through skillful pen and ink form, from the image of the heart to the image of the picture, the collision of talent and content bursts out vigorous life tension. This is the unique “tiger” of Chenjun Wu. The unique temperament of the picture always inspires the viewer’s soul.

<Gaze I>

Tiger head is the most important and most difficult part to draw, the facial expression, mouth opening and closing, nose wrinkles, the state of eyes, as well as the pattern of hair layout and plush feeling, that all need superb painting skills. Chenjun Wu observed and copied the real tiger for many times before he mastered the tension of the picture from stillness to motion. The tiger’s eyes can be described as the finishing touch, quiet and far-reaching, showing the king of calm demeanor.

<Happinese>

In Chinese, tiger is a homonym for “blessing”, a lucky animal symbolizing auspiciousness and peace. Tiger cub, a symbol of the beauty of nature, filled with childlike beauty. Li Zhi once said, “A man of childlike innocence must be absolutely pure, and his original intention is the same. If you lose childlike innocence, you will lose your heart. If you lose your heart, you will lose your true. If we lose the true, we no longer have the original intention.” From this painting, we can see Chenjun Wu’s pursuit of nature and innocent beauty in his artistic creation.

Group Exhibitions & Collections:

1996: Xinhua News Hong Kong collected CHENJUN’s Chinese painting ‘Cock’, through the meeting with their vice president Junsheng Zhang and the president of Hongkong Girl Guides Association.

2006: Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art collected CHENJUN’s installation ‘Universal Phobia’.

2007: Zhejiang Art Museum collected CHENJUN’s Chinese painting ‘Swan Dreaming’, and China Academy of Art collected ‘Dreaming’.

2010: Shang Yi Elite Group Exhibition of Flowers and Birds, Gao Jianfu Memorial Hall, Guangzhou city, Guangdong Province, China. CHENJUN’s two Chinese paintings were collected by Gao Jianfu Memorial Hall.

2009-2011: Hangzhou Lingyin Temple invited CHENJUN to join the creation of a great wall painting named ‘Ji Gong Xinghua Tu’.

2012-2014: Shandong Yanzhou Xinglong Culture Park invited CHENJUN to paint a great wall painting.

2014: ‘The Chinese Dream – Charity Exhibition’ for the initiative film and art funds of China Literature and Art Foundation.

2014: Citizen Art Shanghai Exhibition.

2015: Hangzhou Art Fair.

2016: French Prime Minister in China collected CHENJUN’s Chinese painting, during the exhibition at Chongqing Xintiandi Art Center.

2017: Wenxin Qingyuan Contemporary Young Masters Exhibition – Calligraphy and Ceramics, Lingnan Art Gallery, Guangdong Province, China.

2019: Xieyi Youxin Contemporary Young Masters Exhibition – Flowers and Birds Chinese Paintings, Lingnan Art Gallery, Guangdong Province, China.