Editor’s Note: The official WeChat platform of Song Wenzhi Art Research Center has opened the book "Youyuan — — Since the column "Essays on Tibetan Fan by the Owner of Shiyanzhai", it has been deeply loved by art lovers and collectors. Previously, Mr. Song Yulin had published "Yuyuan" and "Mo Yuan", and "Dream Yuan" was his "three-edge" work. The three books are not only independent books, but also interrelated and coordinated, involving more than 200 ancient and modern calligraphers and painters, and more than 230 articles, which are very precious. The author introduces the artist’s artistic experience, the style characteristics of his works and his love for calligraphy and painting with the collection.
Among contemporary Lingnan painters, Fang Chuxiong is an excellent flower-and-bird painter. His animal paintings are unique and praised as "a unique skill of Fang". I am often attracted by the cordial and warm atmosphere in his paintings. I remember a philosopher once said: brilliant, will be attributed to plain. I think it is appropriate to describe Chuxiong’s paintings as brilliant and plain. I can’t remember when and where I met Brother Chuxiong. Maybe we didn’t have much communication at that time, so the impression was not deep. A few years ago, Brother Chuxiong heard from a friend that I liked his works, so he called me and said that he would give me one, which made me quite embarrassed, but I appreciated his kindness.
Fang Chuxiong’s Map of Rats and Cows in 2006.
Fang Chuxiong is a native of Puning, Guangdong Province. He was born in Shantou in 1950, so he is also from Chaoshan. Because of this, several of my artists in Shantou are very familiar with Brother Chuxiong, and Brother Zhang Yingping is one of them. In 2006, my son got married, and the two new people belonged to a cow and a mouse. Therefore, Brother Ping specially invited Brother Chuxiong to draw a picture of a mouse and a cow as a gift, and the young couple got this gift, be in heaven. In 2014, it was a good opportunity for Ying Pingdi to help me find 12 frames of animal albums painted by Brother Chuxiong, in which there were two dogs, ducklings, young tigers, two sheep, fairy mice, pigs, jade rabbits, octopuses (cats and butterflies), chickens, monkeys, koalas, buffaloes, etc., with accurate pictures.
Fang Chuxiong’s "Animal Album" and "Two Dogs" in 2014
Fang Chuxiong’s "Animal Album" and "Blessed Pig" in 2014
Koala in Fang Chuxiong’s Animal Album in 2014.
Fang Chuxiong’s Animal Album, Jade Rabbit, 2014
A painter’s style of painting mostly comes from his nature. Brother Chuxiong loves the truth and plainness of nature, and is especially good at using animals common in mountains and farmhouses as his creative materials. My brother has lived in Lingnan for a long time, so it is self-evident that the painting style of Lingnan painting school has both form and spirit, gorgeous colors and appeal to both refined and popular tastes. Gao Jianfu and Gao Qifeng Kunzhong are both masters of animal painting, but Chuxiong’s animal painting is different from theirs. There is a difference between them. The former wins with atmosphere and momentum, while Chuxiong is restrained and quiet, which is mainly related to Chuxiong’s temperament.
Fang Chuxiong’s "Animal Album" and "Young Tiger" in 2014
Fang Chuxiong’s Animal Album, You Chicken, 2014
Fang Chuxiong’s Animal Album, Double Sheep, 2014
Fang Chuxiong’s Animal Album, Octopus (Cat Butterfly), 2014
Brother Chuxiong entered the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 1975, stayed there to teach after graduation in 1978, and was sent to Beijing and Tianjin to study. Li Keran, Li Kuchan, Cui Zifan and Sun Qifeng all taught him. However, I feel that Mr. Wang Lanruo (1911— 2015) seems more important to him. If Wang Lan is from Jieyang, Guangdong Province, Jieyang also belongs to Chaoshan area. In those days, Chaoshan businessmen were very close to Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai because of their business, so most of the nave and screen strips hung in their homes were made by famous marine artists. Therefore, the influence of Shanghai-style art in Lingdong area is enormous. It is said that there are more than 60 Chaoshan people who have studied in Shanghai Art College (including Mr. Xie Haiyan and Mr. Chen Dayu who later worked in Nanjing Art College). Mr. Wang Lanruo studied painting with Zhu Wenyun in Shanghai in his early years, and then he was admitted to Shanghai Fine Arts College. After graduating in 1935, he returned to his hometown to serve as a middle school teacher for a long time. When Fang Chuxiong was 6 years old, he became a teacher with Mr. Wang Lanruo. This special relationship between Wang Lanruo and Shanghai style painting also profoundly influenced the artistic path of Brother Chuxiong after his death. In fact, pushing forward, Sun Peigu (1891— 1944) is also a painting predecessor who combines Lingnan painting school and Shanghai painting school, and Wang Lanruo is from Sun Peigu’s door. From Sun Peigu to Wang Lanruo and then to Fang Chuxiong, we can clearly feel the existence of Lingnan and sea painting style in their works.Naturally, Brother Chuxiong’s paintings can’t be si
Fairy Mouse of Fang Chuxiong’s Animal Album in 2014.
Fang Chuxiong’s "Two Monkeys" in Animal Album in 2014.
Ducklings in Fang Chuxiong’s Animal Album in 2014.
Buffalo in Fang Chuxiong’s Animal Album in 2014
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