Valuable Qi Baishi Art, Craft displayed in Shanghai

Visitors of the Qi Baishi exhibition take a close look at the paintings’ details. — Li Huacheng

One hundred works by famed Chinese artist Qi Baishi (1864-1957) are featured in an exhibition co-hosted by Hunan Provincial Museum at the new site of Jiading Museum’s special exhibition hall.

The exhibition features paintings, calligraphy and seal carvings. It will run through January 9, 2016.

Qi was famous for his paintings of shrimps and cabbages. However, there are more examples of his art to explore at the exhibition.

Fu Yongkang, a young painter working as an art gallery curator, visited the exhibition with friends and said he felt fortunate to see so many genuine works by Qi, becuase when he learned how to do traditional Chinese paintings he was instructed to imitate Qi’s style.

 Some of Qi’s earlier works on display depict “happy fish” and are an imitation of a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) painter’s similar style.

Qi’s paintings of little insects, vegetables and fruits, rarely depicted by traditional Chinese painters in ancient times, are worth viewing, said Ma Jianying, deputy curator of Jiading museum.

Fu suggested visitors try their best to spot insects and shrimps in the paintings to see if they were painted along with the background during Qi’s early years or added during Qi’s late years.

Qi was proud of his own calligraphy on his paintings and of his poems which are also worth viewing.

Jiading Museum has raised its security levels to guarantee the safety of the works during the show period.

The special exhibition hall has been kept at 22 degrees Celsius and a humidity level of around 50 percent to protect the works.

Sixty of the exhibited works had been on display in the United States and their logistics and travel insurance was worth 1.3 billion yuan (US$204 million).

Date: Through January 9, 2016, 8am-4:30pm

Tel: 5992-8800

Venue: Jiading Museum

Address: 215 Bole Rd