Chinese artist Wang Yugen donated his painting to the Ilya Repin Museum-Estate "Zdravnevo".
– Ilya Repin is a revered artist in China. I am happy to have visited his estate, where he painted his brilliant canvases. This place made a great impression on me, and I decided to express my feelings in this work. To also convey the grandeur and beauty of Belarusian nature, – Wang Yugen said.
This is the fifth visit of the artist from the Celestial Empire to our country. Exhibitions of his paintings have been held in Belarus. Wang Yugen's works are noted for their deep knowledge of traditional Chinese culture, combining abstractionism and realism. The artist himself is a representative of UNESCO in China, and the vice-rector of the Academy of Painting and Calligraphy in one of the oldest cities – Baoding.
The painting, titled "House-Museum," was created by Wang Yugen in 2015 after his first visit to the "Zdravnevo" estate. It is executed in the traditional Chinese technique – ink on rice paper.
Accompanying the artist to Vitebsk was Liu Guangqing, chairman of the Confederation of Creative Unions in China, an organization that promotes cultural ties between the two countries. As noted by his Belarusian counterpart, honorary chairman of the Confederation of Creative Unions of our country, Vladimir Prokoptsov, there are plans to organize an exhibition of Chinese artists at the Vitebsk Museum of Local Lore next year, as well as an plein air event in Zdravnevo.
The guests toured the places associated with Repin and visited the exhibition hall where works by students from China, studying at the Faculty of Arts of Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov, are displayed.
Alexey Sukhorukov, head of the branch – the "Zdravnevo" estate-museum – spoke about the latest acquisitions to the museum's collections from friends in St. Petersburg.
– It is gratifying that the number of visitors has increased. The number of people wishing to see where the famous artist created and spent his summer seasons is growing every year, with many guests not only from Belarus but also from other countries, – noted Alexey Sukhorukov.
The painting by Wang Yugen, after visiting the "Zdravnevo" estate, will be added to the collection of the regional museum of local lore. Unfortunately, the properties of the paper do not allow it to be displayed in the dacha house exhibition. It will take its rightful place in the collection of works by Chinese artists held by the VOKM.