You Wuqu (1910-2006) was a renowned traditional Chinese painter, skilled in poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving, and also an expert in horticulture. On December 12th, the exhibition "Ink Connections in Shanghai: You Wuqu's Shanghai Years and a Century of Painting" opened at the Wenfeng Art Museum in Wenfeng Plaza, Shanghai. The exhibition, through artworks, textual and historical materials, focuses on presenting the artist's connection with the city of Shanghai.
You Wuqu in Huangshan
According to the organizers, the exhibition presents classic works by You Wuqu from various periods, as well as archival images related to Shanghai. Using inkjet printing technology, the exhibition recreates the brushstrokes and color textures of the works, allowing the public to gain a close understanding of the artistic choices and developments of this Nantong-born artist. He explored cultural integration amidst the changing times, transforming the nourishment of favorable circumstances and the tempering of adversity into nutrients for artistic growth, thus etching a profound and warm cultural legacy for the cultural interaction between the two cities.
Exhibition site
You Wuqu (1910-2006), a native of Tongzhou, Jiangsu Province, was born into a scholarly family in Nantong, Jiangsu. From a young age, he was influenced by his family's tradition of "investigating things to acquire knowledge, upholding literature and pursuing the arts." In 1929, the young You Wuqu, harboring artistic ideals, went to Shanghai, thus beginning his "Shanghai years" that would influence his entire life. He studied at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and the China Academy of Arts, founded by Cai Yuanpei, Ye Gongchuo, Huang Binhong, and others, directly learning from masters such as Huang Binhong and Zheng Wuchang. In Shanghai, he not only laid a solid foundation in traditional brush and ink painting but also deeply integrated into the Shanghai art circle by joining groups such as the "Honeybee Painting Society," laying the foundation for his artistic career.
Yu Wuqu's "Summer Rain in a Mountain City" (ink on paper)
For You Wuqu, Shanghai was far more than just the place of his artistic awakening. It witnessed his youthful aspirations, the sweetness of love, and the grief of losing his father, and also provided shelter during his displacement in times of war. More importantly, with the strong support of Yan Huiyu, a Shanghai industrialist and collector, he was able to travel north to study under Chen Banding, achieving a qualitative leap in his artistic attainments. After returning to Shanghai, he was able to immerse himself in Yan's collection of masterpieces from various dynasties, studying them in depth. It can be said that Shanghai was the fertile ground that nurtured his artistic growth, and also the hub connecting his roots in Nantong with a broader artistic world. The dynamic, nurturing, and inclusive nature of the "Shanghai School" in his artistic style has long been ingrained in his very being.
Yu Wuqu's work "Huangshan Clouds and Mist" Ink on paper
In his later years, You Wuqu proposed the art theory of "fusion of brush, ink, and water," and pioneered the unique "splashing and painting method," which was inseparable from the diverse artistic influences and open cultural vision he absorbed in Shanghai in his early years. This exhibition, while tracing the artist's years in Shanghai, also systematically reviews his century-long career in painting. On the opening day, a symposium titled "The Light of the City—Commemorating the 115th Anniversary of You Wuqu's Birth and an Academic Symposium on You Wuqu and Shanghai," hosted by Professor Wang Li of the China Academy of Art, was held at the Wenfeng Art Museum. Scholars at the symposium conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as the relationship between You Wuqu and Shanghai.
forum
The exhibition will run until February 28, 2026, and will be open to the public free of charge.