Wang Huaiqing

Wang Huaiqing has said that he created this painting as a graduation exercise at the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts, Beijing. His assignment was to interpret a historical story. He chose one about Bo Le, who worked for a Chinese emperor. Bo Le was blind, but he was able to place his hands on a horse who might be ill or starved and determine if the horse had a good spirit and was worth keeping. The story of Bo Le is related in ancient Chinese calligraphy at the top of the painting. Wang Huaiqing’s composition is highly stylized and graphic, forcing the viewer to concentrate on the subject. The painting’s size makes it powerful.

“Artist’s Mother” was made as a tribute to Wang’s neighbor, Zhou Huaiming, who was a well-known ink and brush painter. Zhou’s mother was 90 years old when this portrait was made. Wang Huaiqing says the message of the painting is very Oriental and the perspective like that of traditional Chinese painting where you can see a subject from different levels and planes at the same time.

Wang Huaiqing studied under Wu Guanzhong, who said about working with figure drawing, “The shape of the human body has to be represented in rigid forms. Stringent forms do not necessarily mean the accuracy of objective likeness; what is achieved at random and spontaneously is never the same as the lyricism of the imagery.” Wang Huaiqing’s nudes exhibit a certain angularity, as opposed to the fullness of shape of his teacher’s, which may have more to do with the selection of model, yet Wang Huaiqing’s nude studies are equally lyrical and expressive. The addition of the model’s shoes seen on the floor beneath where she lies is a subtle touch that somehow makes the drawing more personal.

Wang Huaiqing studied under Wu Guanzhong who said about working with figure drawing, “The shape of the human body has to be represented in rigid forms. Stringent forms do not necessarily mean the accuracy of objective likeness; what is achieved at random and spontaneously is never the same as the lyricism of the imagery.” Wang Huaiqing’s nudes exhibit a certain angularity, as opposed to the fullness of shape of his teacher’s, which may have more to do with the selection of model, yet Wang Huaiqing’s nude studies are equally lyrical and expressive.

Wang Huaiqing’s nude studies in ink are straightforward, concentrating on the form of the figure. They utilize line to represent mass; there is no shading or hint of tonality. Of particular interest in this study is the way in which the artist has instructed the model to cross her hands behind her back, but around her arms, creating symmetrical detail in the picture.

In this beautifully composed drawing, the perspective on the figure is from high above, looking straight down. It is comprised of very few broken lines in a sensual, flowing form. It is a classic figure study.

In this drawing, Wang Huaiqing has used simple lines accentuating the fullness of the model’s figure. Interestingly he has added many lines to the bottom of the chair in which she sits, giving it the form needed to anchor it in the picture.

Wang Huaiqing has filled the space he has used for his drawing with the model and the chair in which she sits. This is always an interesting device that implies a closeness and intimacy with the subject. The lines he uses for the model are simple and spare, accentuating the fullness of the figure, yet he has used enough lines to give the chair form.

Representative of Wang Huaiqing’s early realist painting style, “Old Ferry on the Yellow River” is a beautifully monochromatic work that interprets perfectly the quality of light in late afternoon on the Yellow River. The clothing of the lone figure anchoring his boat provides the only contrast in the scene. The composition is wonderfully sparse emphasizing the sandbar, just as the viewer would see it.

Wang Huaiqing has perhaps become best known for his ongoing series of paintings of classic Chinese architecture and furniture. As representative of this series as any, the painting “Unassembled” illustrates a Ming chair from a different point of view, as if it had been exploded so that the viewer could see all of its pieces. Wang Huaiqing says that normally he uses blacks and whites like the colors in traditional Chinese brush paintings, but in this particular piece he has added small squares of red and green for contrast and to draw the viewer’s eye.

While Wang Huaiqing’s paintings from his Chinese architecture and furniture series are obviously abstract and modern feeling, they draw upon certain aspects of traditional Chinese painting like the limited color palette, a multi-directional perspective and the use of cultural objects. In this example, a dining table has become the ‘stage’ on which sits a plate, a jug, a vase, and a tea pot, all from different dynasties.