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    在新中国建国六十周年庆典即将来临之际，一位年近七十的著名油画家，他曾亲身见证了国家六十年翻天覆地的变化，同时自己亦在数十年风风雨雨的磨炼中成长并渐渐步入了晚年的黄金岁月。

 

    近一年多来，他怀着激情，运用其高超的技巧和潇洒的笔触，写出了数十幅油画新作，尽情抒发出他多年来曾经游览祖国山河而留下的情感，作为自己对共和国六十华诞的献礼和一点心意。这位画家就是近年来备受中外艺术界瞩目的王昌楷先生。

 

    王昌楷是吴冠中先生最早期的入室弟子。早在五、六十年代，在吴先生艺术思想的指引和熏陶下，他已决心把终身献给中国的美术事业。数十年来，他始终如一地以行动实践他诚恳做人、勤恳创作的理念。在长期艰苦的艺术探索和社会历炼中，他练就了深厚的绘画基本功和敏锐的艺术洞察力，同时铸就了中国艺术家的执着性格和中国知识分子的风骨。正由于他长期坚韧不拔的努力和奋斗，他终于在九十年代中完成了自己艺术人生上最重大的蜕变，建立了自己鲜明的艺术流派和独特技艺，并于2000年后进入艺术创作的成熟高峰期。近年来，凭着他一系列充满东方情愫、感人而高难度的作品，王昌楷被中外艺术界和收藏界誉为吴冠中先生最有大成就的弟子和「中国油画｣的代表人物。

 

    什么是「中国油画｣？这并非简单的中国人画的就称为中国油画，亦非以西方油画技法来绘画中国的题材就可称中国油画，就如近年来被国际投机资金热炒的中国「当代艺术｣，尽管套上了中国特色和题材，但其骨子里仍属西方流行了数十年的「波普艺术｣，充其量只属于西方「波普艺术｣的中国版而已。

 

    「中国油画｣既称油画，首先必须具有油画的属性，即要充分体现油画在造型、光、色彩和三维立体空间方面所具有的独特优点和视觉效果；同时，作品须有强烈的中国属性，即中国绘画讲究的笔触有效运用和不可修改性要在作品中有所体现，以形成一种崭新的技法；此外还必须具有中国人的审美意趣和思维方法，注重画外之意和画家情感的表达，即中国人所重视的意境。在这些前提下，中国艺术家要把西方的油画脱胎换骨地演变成真正具有中国文化属性的油画新品种，实在是谈何容易。我们众多的前辈艺术家，近百年来曾为此不断努力探索，但始终仍未能取得成功。

 

    直至吴冠中先生，他花了一生的精力才摸索出一条中国油画的新路，他发明的「土油画｣具有强烈的中国属性，他走的是写实与概括间的折衷路线，景物表达至两维到两维半空间，色彩偏重灰调子。他巧妙地把中西绘画的元素大胆合成并取得协调，创造出一种有别西方油画的中国新品种，为「中国油画｣的产生和发展奠定了重要的基石。

 

    王昌楷沿着老师的「中国油画｣之路继往开来，他选择的是写实主义路线，他早在青年时代已对西方的油画技艺有透彻的了解，长期从事美术和教育工作练就了他扎实的造型能力和绘画基础，对色彩学的深入研究使他在创作中运用色彩得以游刃自如，三维空间的景物描写更是他熟悉的强项。同时，王昌楷先生对中国画传统亦有深刻的理解，这与他出身于诗书画世家有着莫大的关系。因此，当王昌楷在思考中国油画的发展之路时，一方面他研究如何能把油画艺术的最重要的优点充分发挥出来，另一方面他清晰地决定把解决笔触运用之准确性和不可修改性作为攻关的重大目标，挑战前所未有的难度。因这种高度体现中国绘画优势的笔法如能运用于油画创作上，则意味着中国油画的发展将有重大突破，并进入了一个历史的新台阶。王昌楷先生继承了恩师的奋斗精神，他同样努力不倦地奋斗了大半生，终于不负前辈厚望，解决了前人尚未攻克的一系列难题，为「中国油画｣的进一步成熟发展掀开了新的篇章。

   

    观赏王昌楷的作品是一件令人愉悦的事。他的作品：画面明快亮丽而富韵律感、题材广泛而充满生活气息。他的作品充分发挥了油画语言的优点;在笔法上则高度体现了中国绘画的特色：笔触泼辣流畅，一笔到位而没有修改的余地。而作品背后都有一个故事，把作者的见解与情感尽融其中，令人回味无穷。

   

    就以近期新作品为例：

      

《胡杨》    画家以雷霆万钧的笔触一下子就把生活在新疆戈壁沙漠、饱经风霜而屹立不倒的胡杨雄姿刻划得淋漓尽致，喻意中国人顽强的生命力和斗志，同时亦表达自己的心迹；

 

   《张家界》  壮丽的山河、人间的仙境，张家界的景色令画家陶醉，画家则希望透过作品与人们共同分享；

 

   《吊脚楼》  湖南湘西「吊脚楼｣临江而立，蔚为奇观。作者凭着深刻的印象,熟练的技巧，一气呵成写出了自己的真感受；

 

   《黑羊逐浪》     这是画家在海滩旁偶然发现的奇景，山坡上一群黑色的东山羊与明亮的海滩形成强烈的对比。羊群跃动,海波逐浪，构成了和谐的韵律，一幅充满浪漫和诗意的画面由此而生；

 

   《海南情》  阳光、海滩、椰林、清风构成了独特的海南宝岛风情，作者以流畅的笔法尽情抒发出对海南的印象和情怀，画面构图明快而富强烈的节奏感；

 

   《两个椰子》     椰子和海南黄花梨木都属宝岛家喻户晓的土特产，画家以独创的技法刻划出黄花梨木的美丽纹理，并以古典静物画法刻划出质感厚重的椰子，两者相映成趣，产生极佳的艺术效果，并充满浓浓的海南情调；

      

   《鹤家园》  一群仙鹤悠然自得地相聚在湖畔，寓意吉祥。笔法轻松明快，造型准确精炼，充分显示出作者深厚的功力；

 

    王昌楷的作品如诗、如歌，如一篇动人的故事，吸引着每一位观众，带给人们美好的艺术享受。故近年来，王昌楷凭着一系列技艺高超、真情流露、魅力无穷的作品迅速赢得了中外无数艺术爱好者的掌声和认同，其精深的艺术造诣，虔诚真率的艺术家品格更获得中国美术界和收藏界的敬重。

 

宏观中国美术发展史的长河，中国画经历了五千年文明的孕育形成了东方独特的艺术体系，而西方成熟的艺术体系－－油画艺术传入中国仅一百多年，至近数十年油画艺术在中国才获得迅速的发展，并形成一支庞大的油画艺术大军，其中写实油画家成为中国油画队伍的主力军，并具有极高的水平。

 

    然而,尽管中国写实油画已达相当高的水平，包括英年早逝的陈逸飞先生等一批写实油画高手的内心仍有一点遗憾，因他们的技法仍属西方传统的，若与西方十七、十八世纪的西方写实油画实力相比，两者间的水平尚有巨大的落差；至于近二十年才出现的「中国当代艺术｣则属西方已流行了数十年的「波普艺术｣传入中国而发展形成的中国另类油画品种，由于其创作形式和技法仍属西方的，尽管其创意和表现形式仍有可取之处，但在中国油画领域毕竟并非主流。而吴冠中先生开创的中国式油画却为中国油画开辟了有别于西方油画的新路，把「油画中国化｣这数代中国前辈油画家的百年梦想变成现实，因此其意义和定位是划时代的。吴冠中先生为中国式油画的发展奠定了基石，其历史贡献是伟大而无可置疑的。然而，这一突破已耗尽了吴老毕生的精力，吴老的中国油画尚有许多难题尚未完全解决，其一如何把油画语言的造型、光、色彩和三维空间优点充分发挥，其二如何把笔法提升至中国画的高难度，而他的继承人王昌楷则把这难关攻克了，这是吴老先生应最感欢欣和安慰的。

 

    王昌楷成功地解决了油画艺术和中国绘画的有机结合，形成一种中国式的、高难度的油画新品种，这个油画新品种成功地建立了一种中国新油画模式的完整范例,对中国未来发展真正属于自己的油画体系将产生重大指导作用和深远影响，其历史意义同样是伟大和划时代的。目前王昌楷正处于艺术创作高峰期，其执着的艺术追求性格和使命感将使他义不容辞地担当起振兴新中国油画的中流砥柱和大旗手。可以预料，在王昌楷的领军下，「中国油画｣将在中国艺术领域产生越来越大的影响力，「中国油画｣体系将在中国崛起，亦必将在世界崛起。

 

     由香港云峰画苑和海南泰达 • 美丽道画苑联合策划推动的《王昌楷新作展》即将与广大观众会面了，这是一位艺术大师对祖国表达的心意和热爱。这次活动得到王昌楷的第二故乡海南省的政府和各界人士的高度关心和支持，同时得到南方出版社的热情协助。在此，我们谨表示衷心的感谢。借此机会，我亦衷心地祝愿和期望王昌楷先生保持身体健康，并以良好的体魄和旺盛的斗志为「中国油画｣的发扬光大作出新贡献，为中国艺术争光,亦为世界艺术争光。

 

                                      云峰画苑董事长

 

 

 

 

As the celebration for the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of New China is approaching, a seventy-year-old oil painter, who has witnessed the dramatic changes of this country for 60 years and went through decades of hardship, is now stepping into his old yet golden age.

 

In the past one-and-a-half year, with his passion, superb techniques, natural and unrestrained brushstrokes, he painted a few dozens of oil paintings to express his love for motherland on which his life is spent and footprints are left, he also painted to commemorate the birth of this country 60 years ago. This artist, who has drawn worldwide attention, is Mr Wang Changkai.

 

Wang Changkai is actually one of the first bunch of pupils of Mr Wu Guanzhong. Early in the 1950s and 1960s, he has decided to devote his life to the realm of Chinese art under the guidance and edification of Mr Wu. In these tens of years, he has held onto his belief and principle to live his life earnestly, diligently and to persevere with his goal. The long, painstaking journey of art exploration and test of time has developed his talents, accentuated his skills, matured his style and most of all, formed his dignified, persistent, literati quality. Attributing to his perseverance and hard work, in 1990s he has made his first breakthrough by establishing his own unique skill, style, and school. And since 2000, he has pushed himself further to reach the peak stage of his art life. In recent years, with his series of highly skilled, emotionally touching works highlighted with intense oriental mood, Wang Changkai earned the acclaim from collectors, connoisseurs and the art circle as the most out-performed pupil of Wu Guanzhong, and is regarded as the representing figure in the realm of Chinese Style Oil Painting.

 

What is Chinese Style Oil Painting? It does not superficially refer to the oil paintings done by Chinese artist, neither to those with Chinese subject matters done with western skills. For example, the kind of oil painting tactically named ‘Chinese Contemporary Art’ initiated and ventured by international speculators, although polished by certain moods, characteristics and objects of China, its underneath is in fact the kind of Pop Art prevailed in the western trend decades ago. At best it should only be called ‘Pop Art of Chinese version’.

 

As it is called ‘Chinese Style Oil Painting’, it should have brought the distinctive features of oil painting into full play, and elaborate the effects on light, color and multi-dimensional space allowed by the properties of oil and paint. Also, it should emphasize on the effective, irrevocable brushwork. Most importantly, it should be rooted in the aesthetics, ideology and consciousness of Chinese culture, stressing the implied meaning, feeling, conception and the mental state of the artist. Under these prerequisites, it is extremely hard for Chinese artists to put forth a new kind of oil painting which possesses all the above qualities and core values of Chinese art and culture. Many of our artists in older generations have tried hard in this regard but all in vain until Mr Wu Guanzhong’s invention of his ‘Native Oil Painting’ with his successful search for its vocabulary and possibilities for sustainable development.

 

In his Native Oil Painting, he is eclectic in adopting both realistic and formal characteristics. His landscape is toned by grey and takes on a two to two-and-a-half dimensional spatial depiction. He also ingeniously combined and balanced the elements of Chinese and Western paintings, created a new category of art different from that of the west, and laid the foundation of ‘Chinese Style Oil Painting’.

 

Wang Changkai then carried on the past achievement of his teacher and opened a new way for future. He chose to follow the route of realism. Early in his teenage, he has already gained thorough understanding towards the artistry of oil painting. His in-depth study in chromatics has also enabled him to use different colors in great ease. Moreover, he is strong and familiar with three-dimensional spatial depiction. What’s more is that Mr Wang Changkai, who was born in a scholarly family, is well-versed in the tradition of Chinese Painting. Therefore, when he considered the direction of Chinese oil painting, his vision became clear as he resolved to tackle the problem of brushstroke application and manifestation. Finally, he surmounted the unheard challenge to inject the concept and artistry of accurate, effective brushwork originated from traditional Chinese ink painting into his Chinese style Oil Painting. Wang Changkai, who inherits the persistence of his teacher and went through more than half a life of misfortunes and hardship, has finally lived beyond everyone’s  expectation to have conquered all the difficulties and opened a new chapter of Chinese oil painting history.

 

It is a pleasure to just look at Wang Changkai’s paintings. His works are loud and clear at first glance, with musical rhythm, variety of interesting topics and filled with refreshing vitality. Not only have his works demonstrated the strong point of oil painting but and his brushstrokes so facile, bold and vigorous that each and every one of them lands on the right spot, absolutely irrevocable and allowing no margin for correction. Thus and so, his art incarnates the core values of the art of Chinese painting. In addition, each painting has a story to tell. They reveal the artist’s views and feelings, offering us much room for thought.

 

Here are some recent examples.

 

Poplar – With a few powerful brushstrokes, the artist has instantly depicted the heroic posture of the weather-beaten poplar towering in Gobi. It analogues vitality and will to fight against adversity, the self-expression of the artist.

 

Zhangjiajie – majestic rivers and mountains, legendary landscape… Zhangjiajie’s scenery carried away the soul of the artist, who now bring back and shares with us such beauty through this work.

 

Diao Jiao Lou --  Diao Jiao means ‘hanging foot’. In Hunan Xiangxi, the building stands upright beside the lake, presenting a splendid sight. The artist applied his familiar skills to reappear his impression and feeling in one go

 

Black sheep running after the Waves — this is an unusual sight incidentally discovered by the artist by the side of the beach. On the hillside, a group of black sheep contrasts with the shining sea beach. The sheep leap and the waves run after the billows, forming a harmonious melody and a romantic, poetic picture.

 

Affection for Hainan --  sunlight, sea beach, coconut forest and refreshing breeze altogether construct a unique aroma of the Hainan Island. With unhindered brushwork, forthright composition and strong rhythm, the artist expresses his affection and impressions on Hainan.

 

Two Coco ---  coconut and yellow palisander wood are well-known Hainan local specialty. The artist successfully portrayed the beautiful grain of the wood using his original technique; while the heavy coconut was done using traditional still-life painting technique. The two objects and the two techniques set each other off so interestingly that the whole piece looks so exotic and artistic.

 

Homeland of Cranes —  a group of red-crowned cranes, auspiciously implied luck, gathered leisurely by the lakeside. The lucid and lively brushwork and the accurate modeling fully reveal the artist’s dexterity.

 

The art of Wang Changkai is a poem, a song, a heart-touching story. It attracts and brings pleasure to every viewer. Therefore in recent years, Wang Changkai gained wide acclaim and high respect from international art-lovers, academics and collectors with his original works, truthful feelings, superb skills, faith in oil painting and his personal charisma.

 

Taking a macro view at Chinese art history, Chinese painting has gone through a test of five thousand years and finally formed an independent system of art so unique and remarkable among the world. As for the system of oil painting originated and developed from the west, it has been introduced to China for only a hundred years at maximum. In these few tens of years, oil painting has quickened its pace in China and drawn many more artists. Among the different streams, realism has become the most popular movement of the highest technical achievement.

 

However, although realistic oil painting in China has reached a rather high standard, there is regret in the heart of many realist masters including Mr Chen Yifei who died at his golden age. With Chinese women as his subject matters, the skills he used remained to be western. If compared with western oil painting of the 17^th and 18^th century, there still exists a huge gap in their technical levels. Chinese Contemporary Art popularized in China during these 20 years is actually a kind of ‘Pop Art’ introduced from the west a few decades ago. Although it has developed into a new kind of art, the form and the technique involved still belong to that of the west. We appreciate its creativity but after all, it is not the mainstream of Chinese oil painting. Instead, the kind of oil painting that Mr Wu Guanzhong started, paved a new way for the development of oil painting in China. He realized the centenary dream of ‘The Nationalization of Oil Painting’ by numerous Chinese artists. The meaning and positioning is a breakthrough in the era. Mr Wu’s great contribution to the realm of Chinese Style Oil Painting is beyond doubt. However, such breakthrough has drained Mr Wu of his energy while there are still many problems remained unsolved. One of these is how to fully exploit and express the merits of form, light, color and space. Second is how to sublime the use of brushstrokes to a level paralleled to that of Chinese Painting. His pupil Mr Wang Changkai has successfully overcome many difficulties and solved all these problems. This must be Mr Wu’s greatest joy and comfort.

 

The system of Chinese style oil painting established by Mr Wu Guanzhong has differentiated a new direction from that of the west. The centennial dream of our predecessors to ‘nationalize’ oil painting has come real for Mr Wu Guanzhong has laid its foundation. Nevertheless, such breakthrough has already exhausted his energy. But still, a number of problems remain unsolved, for instance: (1) how to bring the quality of portrayal accuracy, effects of light and color, as well as spatial construction into full play; (2) how to manifest the supreme Chinese brushwork in oil painting. His successor Wang Changkai has conquered this obstacle. Mr Wu must have been pleased and proud too – for bringing up of a new master.

 

Wang Changkai successfully solved the problem on how to integrate oil painting and Chinese painting organically. He has invented a kind of skill-required, Chinese style oil painting which established and opened a new mode of oil painting in China. It gives Chinese artists important guidance on how to further our own system of oil painting in future. This is a historic, epoch-making breakthrough. Now, Wang Changkai is at his peak stage of art creation. His persistence and sense of mission made him voluntary in promoting Chinese style oil painting as his unshirkable duty. We can anticipate that Chinese style oil painting, with the prowess of Wang Changkai, is destined to become more and more influential in China and in other parts of the world.

 

The exhibition ‘New Works of Oil Painting by Wang Changkai’ jointly organized by Wan Fung Art Gallery and Hainan Taida Art Gallery is about to come to town. This is a presentation of love and passion for the master’s homeland. We are thankful to the supportive government of Hainan in which the artist dwell as his second home, and also Nan Fang Publishing Company. We hereby extend our good wishes that Mr Wang Changkai keeps his health and morale to continue to enhance and glorify Chinese style oil painting, Chinese art, and art of the world at large.

 

Kwok Homun

Founder, Wan Fung Art Gallery

April 8, 2009       

 

(translated by Terri)