Wu Guanzhong (吴冠中) is one of the world's great artists. His recent donation of 113 pieces of his works to Singapore was an unbelievable gift to us. When he did so, he explained that he saw Singapore as a country which harmonized east and west. When he gave his first work to Singapore in 1988, it was a painting of the base of a tree with extended roots. Wu Guanzhong has been to Singapore many times before. I remember meeting him once at a dinner hosted by Dr Arthur Lim in the 90's.
The exhibition of all 114 pieces at the Singapore Art Museum(113+1) is breathtaking. They are a representative selection of his life's work and not only concentrated on jiangnan (江南) sceneries which he is most known for. It is a pity that the spaces at the old SJI are not big enough to provide the viewing distance for some of his larger works.
I spent an hour, accompanied by Kwok Kian Chow, the Director, and Jane Ittogi, the Chairman of SAM. Their explanations made my appreciation of Wu Guanzhong's works so much richer. The catalogue is particularly useful because it gives the background to the paintings. The title 风筝不断线 was taken from Wu Guanzhong's writings on what art should be. The kite must be allowed to fly freely in response to the shifting winds but it is always connected, however tenuously, to the past and to society. In his earlier years, he was criticized and persecuted especially during the Cultural Revolution. Now, despite his fame, he lives in a small apartment in Beijing. Like the Taoists of old, his physical needs are simple but his mind and his art soar. We are so fortunate that he sees in us something special and unique. Asked for my reflection at the end of my visit, I wrote: A kite flies over Singapore - unexpectedly.
George Yeo
At the exhibition entrance
Photo of Wu Guanzhong
"Pandas Painting"
Viewing "Buddha on Mountain Wall"
"Leopards"
"Painting of Literati"
Viewing "Portrait of a Lady"
"Red Lanterns on House"
"The Five Oxen"
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