A Heartfelt Letter from Qingshan Zhang for Xiang Li’s Dream of the Red Chamber Exhibition Opening
About Qingshan Zhang
Qingshan Zhang was born in Dalian, Liaoning Province in China. He is now Secretary of the Party Committee of the China National Academy of Arts. He graduated from the Chinese Department of Fudan University in Shanghai.
He is currently the vice president of the Chinese Academy of Arts, the deputy director of the Academic Review Committee, the president of the Dream of Red Chambers Society of China, and the editor-in-chief of “Dream of Red Chambers Journal”.
Researcher, doctoral tutor, and literary coordinator of the new TV series “Dream of Red Chamber”, has long been engaged in the research of Chinese classical novels, especially “Dream of Red Chambers”.
A letter from Qingshan Zhang to Xiang Li and Fei Wu
On this very special occasion of Li Xiang’s “Dream of Red Chamber” figure painting exhibition, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to Xiang Li, her daughter Fei Wu, and Qingdao Haidu Group on behalf of the Chinese Academy of Red Chamber and in my own name.
Xiang Li is a famous painter. As early as the 1980s, her figure paintings of “Dream of the Red Chamber” were well-known in the capital Beijing, China. Even today, when people mention the creation of figure paintings of “Dream of the Red Chamber”, people will think of Xiang Li’s name, and high praise for her artistic achievement. Over the past few decades, Xiang Li has not forgotten her original intention, firmly grasped the brush, and stuck to the high ground of artistic creation.
She has made outstanding achievements in the creation of figure paintings in “Dream of the Red Chamber” and the portraits of Chinese empresses, adding luster to the China Figure Gallery. Xiang Li’s love and perseverance in creation are as amazing and moving as the characters in “Dream of the Red Chamber” and the statues of empresses in her works.
Once again, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to Xiang Li, her daughter Fei Wu and Qingdao Haidu Group, and wish her “Dream of the Red Chamber” figure painting exhibition a great success.
Zhang Qingshan
May 28, 2019 in Beijing
Translated from Zhang’s original letter written in Mandarin Chinese
值此李湘《红楼梦》人物画展举办之际，我谨代表中国红楼梦学会并以个人的名义，向李湘、向吴菲、向青岛海都集团，表示衷心祝贺。
李湘是著名画家，早在上个世纪八十年代，她的《红楼梦》人物画就享誉京城，乃至到今天一提到《红楼梦》人物画创作，人们就会想到李湘的名字，这是对李湘艺术成就的高度评价。几十年来，李湘不忘初衷，紧握画笔，坚守在艺术创作的高地上，在《红楼梦》人物画、中国历代皇后造像的创作上，成就卓著，为中华人物画廊增光添彩。李湘在创作上的挚爱和执着精神，与她笔下的《红楼梦》人物、历代皇后造像一样令人赞叹和感动。
再一次向李湘、向吴菲、向青岛海都集团表示衷心祝贺，祝李湘《红楼梦》人物画展圆满成功。
张庆善
2019年5月28日于北京
