On July 6, "Images of China -- Exhibition of Paintings by Han Yuchen" opens at the Marble Palace of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg



Alla Manilova, General Director of the State Russian Museum, presides over the opening ceremony



Wang Wenli, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in St Petersburg, said in her speech that there are 56 ethnic groups in China, and Tibetans are the most unique one to retain their own culture and customs. Han Yuchen brought the great beauty of Tibet to the Russian people with his painting brush and heart



In his speech, Semyon Mikhailovsky, President of Repin Academy of Fine Arts, recalls the touching moments of Han Yuchen’s exhibition at the academy in 2015 and invited him to the academy for academic exchanges.



Speech by Han Yuchen, a distinguished art researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Art.



Audiences from the art circle in St. Petersburg and all over Russia gather to listen to Russian artists’ interpretation of Han Yuchen's Tibet-themed oil paintings.



Gregory Gordovsky, Deputy General Director of the State Russian Museum, presides over the art exchange activities.



Vladimir Gusev, former General Director of the State Russian Museum, introduces the enlightenment of Han Yuchen's oil painting and the ideas highlighted in his works to the audience



Han Yuchen shares with the guests and audience the hardships of learning art, his enthusiasm for producing Tibet-themed artworks, and the creation process of the award-winning work “Shepherdess” and the thrilling story behind it.

Chinese Cultural Figures On July 6, "Images of China -- Exhibition of Paintings by Han Yuchen" opened at the Marble Palace of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. Wang Wenli, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in St Petersburg, Semyon Mikhailovsky, Rector of the Russian Academy of Arts, and other leaders and artists attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Alla Manilova, General Director of the State Russian Museum, presided over the opening ceremony.
lla Manilova, General Director of the State Russian Museum, presided over the opening ceremony. She said, "Even before we met Han Yuchen, we had already fallen in love with the artist who has dedicated himself for decades to portraying the Tibetan people, enduring hardships and staying true to his art. Two days ago, through our dialogue and exchange, I come to understand that Han Yuchen's works bear the influence of Russian art owing to his long-standing connection with the Repin Academy of Fine Arts.” Manilova also said that more and more people in Russia are paying attention to oriental art. The reason why we host the exhibition for Han Yuchen is to let Russian audiences know more about Tibet and even China through such exchanges. Subsequently, Manilova presented a special thank-you letter to Han Yuchen.
Wang Wenli, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in St Petersburg, carefully observed each of Han Yuchen's works. In her speech, she said, “China has 56 ethnic groups, and the Tibetan people have preserved their unique cultural customs. I have been to Tibet three times and was deeply moved by its magnificent landscape and unique charm. Han Yuchen, with his brush and heart, brought the beauty of Tibet to the Russian people. St. Petersburg is the cultural capital of Russia. The State Russian Museum houses the richest collection of national works and enjoys great prestige in the world of art. I thank Director Alla Manilova for providing such a wonderful venue for Chinese artists to showcase their work.”
In his speech, Semyon Mikhailovsky, President of Repin Academy of Fine Arts, recalled the touching scene when Han Yuchen held an exhibition at the academy in November 2015. He then stated, “Having had extensive contact with Han Yuchen, I can say that he is a thoughtful, tasteful, and ambitious artist. Despite experiencing many hardships and working tirelessly for the survival of his enterprise, he overcomes any and all difficulties to pursue his ideals. In this exhibition, I have seen many creative works that demonstrate his new breakthroughs in art. Tomorrow, we will invite him to the Repin Academy of Fine Arts for academic exchange. I believe that Han Yuchen's exhibition will cause an even greater impact in Russia.”
“The State Russian Museum’s presentation of my solo exhibition not only shows great kindness to me, but also constitutes a praise and full affirmation of Chinese oil painting art.” Han Yuchen, a distinguished art researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, said in his speech. He shared his visits to the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. Deeply touched by the great works of famous painters such as Ilya Repin, Vasily Surikov, Ivan Shishkin, Isaak Levitan and Viktor Vasnetsov, he became more determined in his creative idea to explore the depth of life and take root in the people and nurture the root and soul of the nation. The 35 exhibits present the real life of Tibet under the sun from several aspects, such as nomadic sheep, labor scenes, religious beliefs and portraits, and depict the spiritual world of the Plateau people who are kind, austere, tenacious and determined. Finally, he also introduced the scale of his art museum and the collection of 19th-century European oil paintings, and invited Russian artists to hold exhibitions in Handan, southwest of Hebei Province, China.
There is also a special feature in the opening ceremony of this exhibition. At 4 pm, audiences from St. Petersburg art circles and all over Russia happily gathered together. Under the auspices of Gregory Gordovsky, Deputy General Director of the State Russian Museum, Vladimir Gusev, a Russian art master and former General Director of the State Russian Museum, introduced the enlightenment of Han Yuchen's oil painting and the ideas highlighted in his works, which are in line with the creative purpose of the Wanderer artists in Russia; They interpret the national emotional expression and oil painting language characteristics of Han Yuchen's Tibet-themed creation, as well as his artistic achievements in calligraphy, photography and other fields.
Art knows no borders, and art is the collision of hearts. Moved by Vladimir Gusev's warm and sincere speech, Han Yuchen couldn't help picking up the microphone and telling the guests about his hard journey of learning art, the reasons for his enthusiasm for Tibet-themed creation, the creation process of the award-winning oil painting of “Shepherdess” and the thrilling story behind it. Han Yuchen spoke, taut with emotion, and the audience applauded warmly.
t is reported that this is the first time that the State Russian Museum has held a solo exhibition for a Chinese artist. This exhibition also represented the bright shine of Chinese oil painting art in foreign national halls after Han Yuchen’s exhibition at the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus in April. (Qian Xiaoming, Chen Yaojie)

(Editor: Zhang Yan, Liu Sheng)