At the World Tree: 2024 CAA Graduation Exhibition, young artists convey their passion and pursuit of art through their works. A part of pieces have been honored with the 2024 CAA Graduation Work & Lin Fengmian Creation Gold Awards, deeply capturing our attention. Let us revisit these inspiring works together!

At first, we will introduce the gold award-winning works from the School of Chinese Painting. The School carries the profound cultural genes of the traditional Chinese art lineage. Situated within the broader scope of global history, it highlights the unique essence of Chinese art, and creates a visual atlas that belongs to the Chinese people ourselves.

Graduate Tong Zhicheng from School of Chinese Painting showcased his painting titled “Night Rain in Xiaoxiang”. Xiaoxiang is originally a geographical concept, referring to the confluence of the Xiaoshui River within Hunan Province and the Xiangjiang River that crosses through the province. Known for its tranquil scenery and abundant water, Xiaoxiang is a representative image in traditional Chinese literature and painting. The Southern Song Dynasty (AD1127-1279) painter Wang Hong also depicted the “Eight Scenes of Xiaoxiang”, with “Night Rain in Xiaoxiang” standing as the foremost among them, symbolizing a misty, distant scene where water and sky blend into one. 

This painting was created during Tong’s undergraduate studies, posing significant challenges in both scale and content. The entire process, from the initial draft to the final completion, took nearly five and a half months. In terms of composition, Tong intentionally enhanced the contrast between the trees and rocks in the foreground and the waves in the background. The technique for depicting trees was inspired by the style of the Song Dynasty (AD960-1279) artists Li Cheng and Guo Xi, using the bone method for the rocks in the foreground. The waves further back were rendered using a contrasting black and white technique. This artwork vividly portrays the natural landscapes of Xiaoxiang, immersing viewers in the charm during a rainy night, evoking a sense of peace and poetic beauty.

Night Rain in Xiaoxiang

Artist: Tong Zhicheng (School of Chinese Painting)

Instructor: Huang Jiamao, Zheng Li