The late Chinese painter Wu Guanzhong may be revered for his own artworks, but the National Gallery Singapore is now shining the spotlight on the artist’s role as an art educator instead.
Happening from now till Sep 26, Wu Guanzhong: Learning from the Master is the first of its kind to showcase works by students taught by Wu himself, emphasising his contributions to modernism through his teachings and pedagogy.
The exhibition currently features over 80 artworks and archival materials from both Wu and the students he taught at China’s Central Academy of Art and Design.
Begin your tour by checking out sketches in sections like About The Beauty of Abstraction, before admiring scenic artworks in others such as Sensations of Beauty.
Besides the all-important paintings and drawings, also find treasured photographs and study notes kept by students during their outdoor drawing lessons. In particular, Wu’s handwritten manuscripts offer audiences a deeper, more intimate look at his thoughts, and afford a greater understanding of his ethos on art.
As the fifth showcase in a series of exhibitions dedicated to the artist, the National Gallery continues its curatorial approach of educating local audiences through the exploration of Wu’s practice, as first seen in the 2018 exhibition Wu Guanzhong: Expressions of Pen & Palette.
Finally, staged within the Wu Guanzhong Gallery, Learning from the Master is showcased in tandem with the ongoing exhibition Georgette Chen: At Home In The World. Beyond the shared confines, both exhibitions shed light on the vital roles played by the pioneering Asian artists besides offering the palpable impact the pair made on a generation of artists.
So start learning the importance of art education by heading down to the National Gallery Singapore to check out both the exhibitions. Visitors can also feel free to participate in curator-led and docent tours.
Wu Guanzhong: Learning from the Master runs from now till Sep 26 at the National Gallery Singapore. More information available here.
