Hosted by the Committee of Printmaking of the Chinese Artists Association, “Great Northern Wilderness – Retrospective Exhibition of Chao Mei’s Woodcut” opened at the Union Art Center in the 798 Art District, Beijing on April 20, 2013.
2013 is an active year that is themed around printmaking following on from the Chinese Printmaking Year of 2011, in addition to the international, national public exhibitions of printmaking, the Committee of Printmaking of the Chinese Artists Association organized a series of retrospective exhibitions of the older generation of artists that reviews the history of printmaking, from a new perspective.
Chao Mei, “ A Spring Night Among Wilderness”, 25 x 46 cm, 1958
Chao Mei, “Fighting Against Oil Sea”, 58 x 87 cm, 1974
Chao Mei, “First Footprints”, 30 x 36 cm, 1960
Chao Mei, “Pine Valley”, 60 x 83 cm, 1984
Chao Mei, “The Northern of September”, 42 x 62 cm
Born in Heze, Shandong Province in 1931, Chao Mei is a pioneer, founder, organizer and representative artist of the Great Northern Wilderness School. He has won lots of awards, including the Special Contribution Award for Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Experts of Heilongjiang Provincial Government, Gold Medal in the Contribution Awards of the Sino-Japan Art Exchange Center, World Award in Printmaking, Lifetime Achievement Award in the Chinese Cultural Development of Heilongjiang Province, Prominent Achievement Award in Artistic Exchanges in Michigan, USA, Lu Xun Award in Printmaking, Lifetime Achievement Award in the First Award of Literal and Art of Heilongjiang Province, Plastic Achievement Award of China 2006, Gold Award in the Sixth National Art Exhibition, Gold Award in the First Chinese Art Awards. In view of the artistic achievements of Chao Mei, people’s Government of Heze City, Shandong Province established “Chao Mei’s Exhibition Hall of Printmaking”, the first domestic personal printmaking art museum in 1992. “Chao Mei Art Museum” was established in the Jin Shangjing Historical Museum – Jin Dynasty Imperial ruins in Harbin in 2006.
Not only reflecting the passion to join the Great Northern Wilderness construction of the motherland at that important time, Chao Mei’s printmaking has also made a great contribution to the promotion of graphic art language. This is first solo exhibition of the artist in the 798 Art District.
About the exhibition
Title: “Great Northern Wilderness – Retrospective Exhibition of Chao Mei’s Woodcut”
Duration: April 20 – June 2, 2013
Opening: at 16: 00pm, on April 20, 2013 (Saturday)
Venue: Union Art Center in the 798 Art District, Beijing
Host: Committee of Printmaking of the Chinese Artists Association in cooperation with Shenzhen Guanlan Original Printmaking Industrial Base
Organizer: Beijing Union Art
Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO
