Chen Baiyi   

 

male, born in 1926, is a native of Chaoyang, Hunan province. He is now a committee member of the Chinese Literal Federation, standing committee member of the Chinese Artists Association, vice-president of the Chinese Elaborate Gongbi Painting Association, executive chairman of the Hunan Painting and Calligraphy Research Institute.

 

Chen was born in an intellectual family in which his grandfather was a poet while his father and uncle were calligraphers.Chen, who is best known for elaborate-style Gongbi figure paintings, also does freehand portraits. His art rests on the combination of the Chinese traditional techniques, folk art and the use of light and colour as used in Western paintings. Finding nourishment from these sources, he has developed his unique style in presenting the modern lives through his works. Chen gained his fame at a very young age with his Gongbi painting. He is a man of great learning and is well versed in the basic skills. His paintings are marked for their simple and bold contours, elegant and harmonious colours, robust and graceful characters. He is particularly good in capturing the folk lives of the Miao tribe. Chen’s freehand portraits are characterized by their swift strokes and balanced settings infused with a kind of running spirit not bounded by any images of the mundane world.

 

Chen has participated in many national arts exhibitions and has been awarded numerous times. Many of his paintings are now collected by national and local museums all over the country. Some of his works have been exhibited in Southeast Asia, Japan, America and Europe and are highly regarded. His distinctive works include “The Korean Youth Cui Yong Visits Luo Shengjiao’s parents”, “The spring”, “Ouyang Hai”, “The Third Day of The Third Lunar Month”, “Miao Tribe” and “The Lantern Festival”. Chen, with his superb skills, remarkable achievements, and willingness to teach others, has become the key person in the Hunan’s art circle.