Text / Shao Da Xian
(Academician of Chinese Academy of Arts, Professor of the Chinese Central Academy of Fine Arts, Director of Chinese Artists，Association Committee)
Mr.Hu Zhende is well educated by the academic system. He is the kind of artist who has a solid foundation of realistic painting and meanwhile he has comprehensive artistic accomplishments. He is fascinated in making new exploration in the oil painting, because he regards oil painting as a medium to transmit the human’s ideas and feelings.
Hu Zhende | Qishan Mountian in misty rain | 400x200cm | oil painting
In Europe, the oil painting takes the classical form or modem form. When it is introduced into other areas and countries, it must be integrated with the local arts and develop its new features. Our pioneers have input quite a number of free-style factors of Chinese arts into the language of oil painting since the 20th century. The painters of this generation should bear this feature in mind and endeavor to make greater accomplishments on this base. Freehand and imagery oil paintings can be explored by various means.
Hu Zhende | Watertown oil painting | 60x80cm | 2010
Some focus on the conception of traditional imagery but use the technique of western expressionism while painting, some employ the techniques and ideas of traditional free style ink and wash painting. Mr.Hu uses the latter technique. Freehand ink and wash paintings do not aim to draw rigidly according to the form of one subject, they tend to be of free style and focus on images. They introduce calligraphy into painting and emphasize the expressive force of the line and the amusement of painting.
Mr.Hu has been concerned about the expressive language in the free style painting. He has made serious studies on the theories and techniques of the literati paintings and applied them into practice. So he feels free to use these concepts and techniques in the oil painting.
Hu Zhende | Time and Tide | 60x80cm | oil painting | 2013.08
Some of his imagery works are landscape and figure sketch, some are artistic creation in his free style oil paintings. He combines the techniques of landscape sketch in oil paintings with comprehensive feelings emphasized in the ink and wash paintings and the impression sketch, thus depicting the objective figures and landscapes freely, without being restricted by the objective depiction. That means he makes a bold artistic treatment between his own ideas and objective pictures. He purposely condenses the three-dimensional space so as to make full use of the spot and line in his complanation of paintings.
Hu Zhende | Early morning in Tainhang Mountain | 100x80cm | oil painting | 2015.10
Hu Zhende avoids the contrasting colors. Instead, he uses secondary colors for the purpose of harmonious effect. Accordingly, he seldom uses block surface in order to emphasize the expression; he sketches the line with pencils, thus displaying the expressive force of the line in its zigzag, stokes and skin texture. In this way he brings about aesthetic feeling; meanwhile he pays attention to the proper combination of actual situation and virtual reality in his spatial structure so thathe can set up an artistic conception and express his feelings.
Hu Zhende | Ceremony | oil painting | 180x180cm | 2001.05
When discussing the freehand or image of the oil painting, many painters will come across this kind of problem-how to maintain the colorful language of oil painting and its features so as not to mix the free style oil painting with the black and white oil painting. Mr.Hu also faces this problem. However, he knows quite well about the tough problem and puts forward new theoretical ideas to solve it. In one article named “the Trend of Chinese Landscape Oil Paintings”, he said, “the innovative landscape oil painters should master not only the skill of painting but also the laws of the artistic creation. Only in this way can they choose the correct orientation and be fully aware of their own qualifications, traditional features and regional characteristics, thus applying these into practices automatically and skillfully.” (Literature and Art Studies, No.9, 2007). I believe Mr.Hu Zhende, who is endowed with the comprehensive artistic accomplishments, the theoretical thoughts and consciously adventurous spirits, will spare no efforts to work harder to present better masterpieces to people.
Hu Zhende | Sunlight on Hakka earth buildings in Chuxi | oil painting | 80x80cm