An oil painting created by a Russian artist. [Photo/kan0512.com]
An exhibition of 80 oil paintings created by 40 Chinese and 21 Russian artists was held at the Suzhou Fengqiao Museum from April 8 to 28, local media outlets reported.
The exhibition hall, built with red bricks, complements the colors of the oil paintings featuring both lifelike and abstract figures and landscapes.
"I am very happy that my works were selected for this exhibition. For oil painters, Russian artists have always been our models," said Wang Lu, deputy dean of the School of Art of Soochow University.
In Wang's eyes, going from copying to creating requires not only constant observation and absorption, but also requires one to deeply ponder the spirit of Chinese humanistic philosophy.
"When my husband was creating his water town painting, he used not only Western techniques but also the freehand expression of traditional Chinese paintings," Wang said.
Due to epidemic concerns, the oil paintings were also uploaded online so that art lovers across the country could appreciate them.
"Suzhou residents and painting and calligraphy lovers across the country are responding very well to the exhibition and have left many comments," said Xu Wenji, the curator.
"Although the epidemic has prevented people from visiting the exhibition in person, the online version allows them to appreciate the artists' works all the same, making their lives at least a little more interesting," Xu added.
