This year marks the 110th anniversary of Yu Rentian’s birth. On August 1st, the “Strengthening His Bones-Yu Rentian Seal Carving Art Exhibition” hosted by Xiling Printing Society opened in the China Museum of Indian Studies.
Yu Rentian (1908-1984), whose name is Tianlu, is a great artist who is good at printing poetry, calligraphy and painting in the history of modern art in Zhejiang, and one of the important founders and representatives of New Zhejiang School painting. In 1979, Yu Rentian was invited to join Xiling Printing Society. Sha Menghai once rated it as “four absolute pressures”. Its seal cutting belongs to the Han Dynasty, and the ancient officials entered the seal, which is high and muddy, spicy and simple, and is admired and respected by Pan Tianshou and other masters. From “Recovering Rivers and Mountains” during the Anti-Japanese War, to the later theme creations such as “Strengthening the Bones”, “Building a Healthy Body for the Heroes” and Chairman Mao’s poems, Yu Rentian’s creative content is full of strong patriotic feelings and grand national spirit.
This exhibition shows 70 original prints of Yu Rentian’s seal cutting works provided by Zhejiang Yu Rentian Art Research Association and their families, as well as related screen prints, seal cutting tools, documents and materials, many of which are made public for the first time. The exhibition consists of five units, namely, Introduction to Yu Rentian’s Life, Printing by Yu Rentian for Famous Artists, Printing for Yu Rentian’s Personal Use, Yu Rentian Engraving Chairman Mao’s Poems and Yu Rentian and Longyuan Printing Society. The exhibits not only contain Yu Rentian’s masterpieces, such as “Strengthening his bones”, “Building a strong body” and “Returning to the Han Dynasty”, but also contain many new materials that have not yet been published, such as Yu Rentian’s seal cutting for Ma Yifu, the plaque of “Longyuan Seal Society” and the inaugural issue of “Longyuan Seal Society”, and even display his seal cutting tools.
It is worth mentioning that the China Museum of Indian Studies is the place where Yu Rentian worked before his death. Mr. Yu was the first professional painter in Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Painting Creation Research Laboratory (the predecessor of Zhejiang Painting Academy), and his office address at that time was the location of the current China Museum of Indian Studies. During this period, Mr. Yu Rentian created many fine seal cutting works. The logo of this exhibition, “Strengthening the Bones-Yu Rentian seal cutting”, was also written by famous artists, and was personally inscribed by Chen Zhenlian, vice chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, vice chairman of the China Book Association, and vice president and secretary general of Xiling Printing Society.
It is reported that the exhibition will last until August 27.