Wu Guangzhong (Born 1919)
Born in 1919, Wu Guangzhong also named Tu, is a native of Yixing in Jiangsu province. He was originally an engineering student, yet upon his visit to Hangzhou National Art College headed by Lin Fengmian, he was immediately fascinated by the brilliance of art and devoted his life to it. Wu graduated from the Hangzhou National Art College in 1942 and became one of the best student of Lin. He went to France in 1947 and entered the ole Nationale Sup?ieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. After his return to China in 1950, he took a series of teaching post in various academies including the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, Qinghua University and Beijing Arts School. Wu has numerous publications including Kite with Unbroken String, On Coping Styles and Searching East and West. Wu is an energetic and creative artist who excels equally in oil and ink painting. For decades he has been exploring ways of reconciling the two traditions, and in his work shows a mutual influence of Chinese and Western styles. His early works which depicted Jiangnan river houses as a major theme were highly poetic. Special emphasis was given to the mix and match of points, lines and surfaces in his composition. His outdoor landscapes are wonderfully conceived, involving selection of different vantage points as the artist seeks the subtle movements and serene presence of nature through painted forms.