Zhu Gang is President of the Shanghai Art Museum Association, Dean of the School of Fine Arts of Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, and a famous opera painter. He began to learn painting when he was a child. In his career of opera sketching spanning nearly 40 years, he has always pursued the integration of Chinese operas and modern painting to express traditional Chinese culture in Chinese operas. The historical stories of Wang Zhaojun Departs for the Frontier, the Drunken Concubine, Farewell to My Concubine, and others are often the subjects of his works.
//DANISH
Zhu Gang er formand for Shanghai Art Museum Association, dekan for School of Fine Arts ved Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts og en berømt opera maler. Han begyndte at lære at male, siden han var barn. I sin karriere som opera maler i næsten 40 år, har han altid forfulgt integrationen af kinesiske operaer og moderne maleri for at udtrykke traditionel kinesisk kultur i kinesiske operaer. Historierne som Wang Zhaojun Departs for the Frontier, the Drunken Concubine, Farewell to My Concubine og så videre er ofte temaer i hans værker.
Matchmaking depicts a matchmaker talking with her face beaming with joy, which creates a simple, lively, relaxing and a bit serious atmosphere.
—Chen Xiejun
Consort depicts a glamorous lady, but the surrounding falling petals indicate her future unfortunate life with regret.
—Chen Xiejun
Romantic Day depicts Cui Yingying as a fair lady in comparison with her maid Hongniang, who is frank, simple and loyal.
—Chen Xiejun
Upheaval and Bury of Consort Yang depicts the rage, resentment and helplessness of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang towards the mutinous soldiers, and his care for his favorite consort, Yang Guifei, as well as Yang’s panic, hesitation, bewilderment and sorrow.
—Chen Xiejun
A Poor Scholar and His Marriage depicts a scene in Kunqu opera Joy of the Fisherman. It tells the story of a poor scholar, who makes a living by selling books, is loved at first sight by a woman, who is from a local wealthy family and bluffed by her father to marry her off to the scholar if she refuses to marry the influential official her father wants her to. Zhu Gang depicts the typical scene where the woman stoops down, pleading with sorrows in front of the scholar who is in a panic. Their facial expressions are vividly and exaggeratedly depicted. With the poor scholar’s sleeve at the center of the painting, Zhu Gang obviously tries to use exaggeration to reveal the scholar’s unexpected feeling and his tension with the woman.
—Weng Sizai
Romantic Day depicts Cui Yingying as a fair lady in comparison with her maid Hongniang, who is frank, simple and loyal.
—Chen Xiejun
His painting Lady Zhaojun Departs the Frontier depicts Wang Zhaojun looking far into the distance, and whipping to make the horse run faster, with her pheasant tail and skirt fluttering, but her feet point to the home direction. His ingenious depiction presents the character’s inner world of tears and reluctance to leave her homeland. This contrast of the character’s body language is created by following the philosophy of “Ziwu” (meaning the contrast concept of day and night) in Peking opera. His novelty depiction has a great visual impact and perfectly presents the character’s feelings.
—Weng Sizai
Du Liniang presents a life-like character whose pursuit of the lost dream, sentimental feelings and lovesickness are vividly expressed with the painting of how she moves with her long sleeve.
—Shang Hui
Consort depicts a glamorous lady in beautiful costume. There are many falling petals behind her, which is the painter’s symbolic way of indicating her future unfortunate life with regret.
—Weng Sizai
Lady Zhaojun Departs the Frontierdepicts Wang Zhaojun leaving homeland for political marriage. She whips to make the horse run faster, but her feet point to the home direction, indicating her reluctance to leave.
—Chen Xiejun
Farewell My Concubine depicts Consort Yu, whose facial appearance is painted vividly yet tenderly by adopting the idea of realism, a Western painting technique, and whose braid is drawn with smudged ink.
—Zhu Junbo
Hiding in the Boat applies a brighter blue in the performer’s costume, changes the embroidery pattern on the cloak to make it appear more life-like, and lengthens the body of the paddle while shortening its handle in the performer’s hand, which makes the whole painting more dynamic and visually impactful.
—Weng Sizai
