Recently, the second "Ancient Charm, Modern Radiance: Classic Works by Contemporary Chinese Art Masters," organized by Cultural Monthly Magazine, was officially inaugurated at the West Hall of the Art Gallery of China National Centre for the Performing Arts
Wang Baosheng, Editor-in-Chief of China Cultural Figures / Photography by Wang Baosheng



The second "Ancient Charm, Modern Radiance: Classic Works by Contemporary Chinese Art Masters" opens at the West Hall of the Art Gallery of China National Centre for the Performing Arts



Exhibition View of “Ancient Charm, Modern Radiance: Classic Works by Contemporary Chinese Art Masters"



Han Yuchen, specially appointed researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, honorary professor at the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in Russia, and renowned oil painter, at the exhibition



Han Yuchen in front of his exhibited works



In 2025, Han Yuchen's works Two Siblings, Washing, and Maqu Solang were exhibited at the inaugural "Ancient Charm, Modern Radiance: Classic Works of Contemporary Chinese Art Masters."

     
China Cultural Figures International (Editor-in-Chief: Wang Baosheng) Recently, the second "Ancient Charm, Modern Radiance: Classic Works by Contemporary Chinese Art Masters," organized by Cultural Monthly Magazine, was officially inaugurated at the West Hall of the Art Gallery of China National Centre for the Performing Arts. Han Yuchen, specially appointed researcher at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, honorary professor at the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in Russia, and renowned oil painter, was once again invited to participate, joining 70 other renowned Chinese artists, including Jin Shangyi, Pan Shixun, Sun Jingbo, Zhang Lichen, and Zhang Zuying. The exhibition features more than 160 carefully selected works and  systematically traces the development trajectory of artistic inheritance and innovation in China, highlighting the profound cultural confidence and unique creative perspectives of artists in the new era, while comprehensively showcasing the enduring vitality of Chinese art, which remains rooted in tradition while continuously evolving through innovation.
For decades, Han Yuchen has remained committed to his artistic aspiration of "integrating art with life and taking root among the people," with a longstanding focus on the Tibetan Plateau. To faithfully capture the authentic humanistic character of Tibetan regions, he has repeatedly traveled there for field studies and on-site sketching, exploring the plateau’s rural landscapes and portraying the simple yet vibrant everyday lives of Tibetan people through his brushwork. These journeys have inspired a series of oil paintings imbued with a strong sense of everyday life and profound humanistic concern. Over the years, his works have been exhibited at leading domestic art institutions such as the National Museum of China, the National Art Museum of China, the Chinese National Academy of Arts, and the Shanghai Art Museum, as well as at national-level cultural institutions in various countries. He has received numerous major art awards at home and abroad and earned widespread recognition in both Chinese and international oil painting circles.
For this exhibition, Han Yuchen has carefully selected two representative oil paintings, Golden Childhood and Da A Ga, to be presented in the exhibition hall. Golden Childhood combines Eastern and Western painting techniques to depict a serene moment of a Tibetan youth tending livestock on the plateau. The vast plateau is bathed in warm golden light, as the artist uses delicate brushstrokes to portray the glow of sky, with layered warm and cool tones rendering the clouds light and ethereal. Backlit by the sunlight, two children stand in the vast wilderness with sincere and innocent smiles, vividly capturing the natural optimism, purity, and simplicity of Tibetan youth. The other work, Da A Ga, focuses on traditional Tibetan collective house-building activities, employing a composition featuring receding rows to enhance the sense of spatial depth. In the foreground, a Tibetan girl wearing a yellow garment with a red inner layer and and a deep blue skirt creates a striking visual impact through vivid colors, while her checkered headscarf enriches the details of the composition. The groups of workers in the background are rendered through pointillist techniques, which not only enhance the depth of the composition but also convey a grand scene of collective effort and vigorous labor. Both works combine refined artistic expression with profound humanistic depth, earning unanimous acclaim from industry professionals and exhibition visitors alike.
At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, several leading experts in the field delivered remarks, including Xu Fushan, Vice President of the China National Academy of Arts; Yu Yang, Academic Chair of the exhibition and Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Jia Guangjian, Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association and former President of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts; Zhang Zuying, Lifetime Member of the Academic Committee of the China Oil Painting Society; and Zhang Lichen, Professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. All guests spoke highly of the exhibition’s significant value and practical significance in exploring innovative approaches to contemporary Chinese fine art and carrying forward the roots of traditional art heritage.
The inaugural "Ancient Charm, Modern Radiance: Classic Works by Contemporary Chinese Art Masters" was also presented at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in August 2025. On that occasion, Han Yuchen was invited to exhibit three works — Two Siblings, Washing, and Maqu Solang — alongside masterpieces by veteran masters of the art world, including Jin Shangyi, Zhan Jianjun, Dai Ze, and Yuan Yunfu, creating an artistic feast that combines ancient culture heritage with contemporary innovation through diverse artistic approaches.
Returning to this national-level art exhibition platform after a year is not only a refection of the industry’s continued recognition of Han Yuchen's strength in oil painting and artistic vision, but also a strong testament to his commitment to rooting his art in everyday life and devoting himself to works centered on ethnic themes. Looking ahead, Han Yuchen will continue to build upon the rich foundation of local culture, gain insight into life through sketching from nature, and use the language of oil painting to tell stories of ethnic communities, thereby injecting fresh vitality into the development of contemporary Chinese art while maintaining cultural integrity and pursuing innovation.

Editors: Liu Sheng, Zhang Yan