From the depiction of landscape themes in artworks, one can observe the artists’ understanding and attitude toward nature, the self, and the essence of art. “Every landscape is, as it were, a state of the soul,” said the Swiss philosopher Henri Frederic Amiel.

Visitors admire artworks at the “Meaning of Landscape” exhibition at the China Printmaking Museum in Longhua District. Photos by Chen Siqi

The “Meaning of Landscape,” a landscape prints collection exhibition, is on show at the China Printmaking Museum, enabling visitors to see the natural and humanistic landscapes through the interpretation of international printmaking artists.

Exhibition curator Zhao Jiachun (L) introduces the exhibits to a visitor.

Curated by Zhao Jiachun, deputy director of China Printmaking Museum, the exhibition has been listed among the 2023 Project of the National Arts Museum Refined Collection Exhibition Season organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The exhibition is divided into three sections: “The Return of Nature,” “The Hidden Beauty of Landscape” and “Resonance of Landscapes,” featuring a total of 58 landscape printing artworks from home and abroad. At the exhibition, visitors can check the different techniques of woodcut, lithography, etching, silkscreen, relief and reduction block print woodcut.

“Pine Valley,” created by Chao Mei, one of the first-generation artists of the Beidahuang print school, in 1984, shows a boundless pine forest in a valley with two eagles spreading their wings and flying upon the forest in Beidahuang, or the “Great Wilderness,” of Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. Instead of showing the dangerous and difficult terrain of the valley, it shows the open and magnificent landscape, conveying his affection to the natural landscapes.

Swarms of demobilized soldiers pioneered a massive exploration of Beidahuang in the late 1950s. They not only cultivated the wasteland but also created prints with such basic implements as knives and woodblocks. Their creations formed a distinctive school of engraving that was later named after the vast plain upon which they toiled for decades. The Beidahuang print school extensively influenced artistic development in other parts of Heilongjiang and still nurtures local artists.

Visitors admire artworks at the exhbition.

In Kang Jianfei’s artwork titled “Stage,” visitors will see a carpet of grass instead of the usual characters such as influential leaders and glamorous heroines standing on the stage. The contemporary Chinese artist aims to convey through the artwork the message that everyone, including ordinary individuals, has the right to be on the stage and have their voices heard. Kang is an artist who explores humanistic concepts through his artworks, seeking to extend his thoughts to viewers.

A visitor takes photos of "Skyglow Shining on the Mountain Village" (exhibit on the right).

“Skyglow Shining on the Mountain Village,” uses brightly saturated colors such as red, green and yellow to depict a scene when the sky’s glow shines on a village in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province. This art piece by He Kun is produced using a technique called reduction block print, which completes all the printing procedures of a piece of work using a single block by constantly etching it in the process, as contrasted with normal print works that usually use several blocks. The finished work could not be reproduced, as the single block used to create it has been altered in the process of printing. He is one of the contemporary Chinese representative paintings dedicated in reduction block print.

Artists are good at capturing the exquisite colors and unique meanings of nature. However, they deliberately choose printmaking, known as an art with minimal color, to carry their emotions and feelings. The curator expressed his hope that viewers could appreciate the beauty of the landscapes and the power of printmaking, and perceive the artists’ emotions and resonate with them.

Dates: Through Aug. 31

Tickets: Free

Booking: Official WeChat account “GL_PRINTS” (觀瀾版畫(huà))

Venue: China Printmaking Museum, Longhua District (龍華區(qū)中國(guó)版畫(huà)博物館)

Metro: Line 4 to Niuhu Station (牛湖站), Exit C and then take a taxi