“Grapes · Bird” by Huang Huanwu

HUANG Huanwu (1906-1985) was a painter from Xinhui, Guangdong province. He was a member of the Guangzhou Museum, dean of the Suzhou Academy of Fine Arts, dean of the Shanghai Yanyu Painting Academy, member of the Chinese Artists Association, director of the Shanghai branch of the Chinese Artists Association, librarian of the Shanghai Museum of Literature and History and painter with the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy.

Since his childhood, Huang Huanwu was a prolific painter. He kept honing his skills and learned different painting techniques. He was taught by GAO Jianfu and GAO Qifeng. He traveled widely abroad before settling down in Shanghai.

This artwork is from the collection of the China Art Museum, Shanghai. Huang Huanwu created it when he was 74 years old. Rooted in the Chinese tradition of bird-and-flower painting, the composition is ingenious and dynamic. The brushwork is smooth and the colored inks complement each other well.

HUANG Huanwu, Grapes · Bird, 96.5 x 60 cm, Collection of the China Art Museum