The "Small Steps Over the Years - China Academy of Arts 2024 Collection Achievement Exhibition" hosted by the China Academy of Arts recently opened in the exhibition hall on the first floor of the Art and Documentation Center of the China Academy of Arts.
This exhibition focuses on the precious collection achievements of the Chinese Academy of Arts in 2024 in the fields of opera, music, fine arts, etc., including Qing Dynasty costumes, documents of Mei Lanfang's visit to Japan, and Feng Qiyong's inscriptions. In 2024, the Chinese Academy of Arts acquired a total of 911 types and 2,453 pieces of collections based on historical, academic and artistic standards.
The exhibition is divided into four units: "Rhyme Written with Wonderful Pen", "Rhyme Conveyed with Ink", "Rhyme Captured in Books" and "Rhyme Lingering in Clear Sounds".
on site
Among the opera exhibits, there is a Nasha dragon arrow jacket worn by the male roles of Kunqu opera in the late Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. Nasha is one of the traditional Chinese embroidery needlework methods, belonging to the Suzhou embroidery yarn embroidery needlework method, which is called "poking yarn" in Suzhou embroidery and "Nasha" in the north. It uses plain yarn as the embroidery base, and uses colored silk to embroider patterns, leaving yarn around. Arrow jackets are military uniforms in Peking opera, and can be worn by all kinds of roles such as Sheng, Jing, Chou, and Za. This Nasha dragon arrow jacket was made in the late Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. It is embroidered with golden dragons, auspicious clouds and water ripples on blue plain yarn. The color matching is elegant and the workmanship is exquisite. This Nasha dragon arrow jacket was collected from Chen Shen, a collector of opera costumes.
Nashalong Arrow Cloth
Among the opera exhibits, there is also a set of media reports on Mr. Mei Lanfang's visit to Japan for performances. It is reported that Mei Lanfang visited Japan for performances three times, spreading Peking Opera art overseas. He performed in Japan twice in 1919 and 1924, opening a new pattern for Peking Opera art to go abroad. When he performed at the Imperial Theater for the first time, the theater was full every day. Many journals and newspapers reported on it. In October 2024, the "Academic Seminar in Commemoration of the 130th Anniversary of the Birth of Mei Lanfang" co-organized by the China Academy of Arts and other units was held in Taizhou, Jiangsu. Mr. Sasaki Chi, a Japanese Mei Lanfang researcher, and Ms. Yoshida Toshiko, a member of the Japanese Peking Opera Research Association, participated in the seminar and donated 14 kinds of 21 precious historical materials during Mei Lanfang's visit to Japan to the China Academy of Arts.
Media materials for Mei Lanfang's performance in Japan
Among the musical exhibits, there is a modified Ruan that has obtained a national patent. This group of works was collected by Xu Yang, a professor at the Department of Traditional Chinese Music of the Central Conservatory of Music. In order to promote the development of national musical instruments, Professor Xu Yang developed the "Xuyang Brand·Ruan Clan" series of Ruan instruments. This series of Ruan Clan instruments is designed and produced according to the needs of modern national musical instrument parts and combined performances. Treble Ruan, small Ruan, medium Ruan, and large Ruan are designed and produced. These Ruans use tooth-jointed mortise and tenon technology to avoid problems such as cavity cracking and deformation caused by the dry climate in the north and the humidity in the south. In view of the problems that some Ruan fingerboards are too narrow to affect the left-hand push-pull, chanting, and kneading skills, and the fingerboards are too wide to limit the right hand's rapid string crossing and the left hand's string change and note pressing, the fingerboard width, string spacing, and guitar pole angle are adjusted to facilitate performance while achieving better musical effects.
Improved Ruan
The fine arts exhibits include works by five domestic artists who enjoy special government subsidies from the State Council, nine artists who have won the "Lu Xun Printmaking Award", four people's artists of Russia, six academicians of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and eight meritorious artists.
A piece of "Lupine" was collected from Alexei Nikolayevich Sukhovetsky, People's Artist of Russia, academician of the Russian Academy of Arts and Vice Chairman of the Russian Artists Union.
Exhibits
In addition, there are "The Injured Person" and "Insignificant" collected from the directors of the St. Petersburg Artists Association of Russia, and "The Second of the Sheep-Grabbing Series" collected from Wen Guozhang, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
"The Wounded" "Insignificant"
Sheep-grabbing series of drawings
There are rich stories behind each exhibit. Fu Zhenxin, honorary chairman of the Shaoyang Artists Association, donated a woodblock print "Colorful Butterfly". Fu Zhenxin said: "In 1992, I created "Colorful Butterfly" using white mud slurry steamed earth powder paper produced only in Tan Town and white earth pigments made by artists as materials, absorbing the modeling of folk art and adding a straightforward carving technique."
Colorful Butterfly
Among the calligraphy and painting exhibits, there is an inscription by Feng Qiyong that reads "Calligraphy and Painting Appraisal Research Room of the Chinese Academy of Arts" donated by Yang Yue, a researcher at the Institute of Fine Arts of the Chinese Academy of Arts; and there is also a seal engraved by Qu Xuepeng that reads "Ride the Wind and Break the Waves of Ten Thousand Miles" and handed over by the Creation Management Office of the Chinese Academy of Arts.
Feng Qiyong's inscription
Qu Xuepeng's seal carving
Among the documentary exhibits, there are handwritten letters from Wang Chaowen and his wife Jian Ping to the arts and crafts master Xu Zhuchu, and classic Russian documents from the early 20th century formerly collected by Mr. Tu Wusheng.
Letters
Tu Wusheng, a representative of the donation experts, said in his speech that although he has entered his old age, he should do his best within his means and give full play to his limited and meager remaining energy. Ye Nan, a representative of the donation artists and professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, said in his speech that in 2024, the China National Academy of Arts has made remarkable achievements in the acquisition and revitalization of collections, and he expects the China National Academy of Arts to continue to play an academic leading role and inject vitality into the development of the "three major systems" of art with an open vision.
Wang Hongjun, secretary of the Party Committee of the Chinese Academy of Arts, said that this exhibition is not only a summary of the collection achievements of the Chinese Academy of Arts in 2024, but also a deep tribute to the contributors of collection resources. In the future, the Chinese Academy of Arts will continue to deepen academic collections, improve the collection system, and promote the application of collections.
The exhibition will run until early June 2025.
Opening ceremony