By hannover-web.com On October 13, 2024, the city of Jiujiang is honoring the 125th anniversary of the birth of martyr Fang Zhimin with a special exhibition featuring the original works and manuscripts of the comic book “Lovely China,” created by artist Zhao Qi.
Zhao Qi began this project in the 1980s, driven by deep respect for Fang Zhimin. After several years and numerous revisions, he completed “Lovely China,” which was published in 1984. This comic book, crafted in the traditional Chinese painting style, transforms each illustration into an independent piece of art. Its poetic and literary visual language, along with its widescreen compositions and montage narrative techniques, stood out as unique contributions in the comic book scene of that era.
The exhibit, titled “Lovely China – A Study of Zhao Qi’s Original Comic Works,” recently opened at the Jiujiang Art Museum, showcasing 46 original pieces and more than 80 manuscripts and sketches.
In a message sent for the exhibition, Liu Wanming, president of the China National Academy of Painting, expressed, “Lovely China is a classic work imbued with the spirit of its time and noble character. It employs a compelling artistic language of Chinese painting to portray the lofty ideals and expansive heart of a Communist, celebrating the unyielding spirit of the Chinese nation in the pursuit of its ideals. This uniquely curated exhibition will provide significant insights into the important role of comic books in the development of modern Chinese art and the current landscape of thematic art creation.”
The curator of the exhibition, Xu Bocheng, chief editor of Art China, remarked that after 40 years since its publication, the original illustrations have come to Jiujiang, where Fang Zhimin once studied and lived. This exhibition seeks to pay tribute to revolutionary heroes and draw inspiration for future progress. By juxtaposing the original illustrations, sketches, and text, the exhibition allows visitors to step into a large research volume of “Lovely China,” facing priceless original works that reflect the author’s profound emotions over time.
Following the opening ceremony, guests visited Tongwen Middle School, where Fang Zhimin studied, to learn more about his significant experiences during that period. He attended Nanjun South Wei Lie School (now Tongwen Middle School) from 1921 to 1922, where he was first introduced to progressive ideas such as Marxism. Zhao Qi and Fang Zhimin’s granddaughter, Fang Lihua, offered a floral tribute at Fang Zhimin’s statue.
This exhibition is organized by the China National Academy of Painting, the Jiangxi Provincial Fang Zhimin Research Association, the Propaganda Department of the Jiujiang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the Jiujiang Cultural, Radio, Television, and Tourism Bureau, with support from the Jiujiang Art Museum, the Jiujiang Painting Academy, Art China, and Tongwen Middle School. It will run until October 15.
