In memory of Wu Guanzhong

Seeing the Kites Again

又见风筝：吴冠中捐赠作品展

Runs through 14 December 2010 • Singapore Art Museum

Born on 29th August, 1919 in Yixing, Jiangsu Province of China, Mr Wu Guanzhong was a leading Chinese painter, art educator and essayist in the 20th century.  He was known for the crossing and synthesis of two major art forms - ink and oil.  These represent the art historical and aesthetic contexts of Chinese and Western art.

A great artist who is an inspiration to many, Wu had a heart for Singapore and donated a total of 114 works to the National Heritage Board.  Valued at S$73.7 million, it was the highest valued donation presented to any museum in Singapore. 

Wu passed away peacefully at 11:57pm on Friday, 25 June 2010, in a hospital in Beijing, China.  He was 91 years of age.

The National Art Gallery and the Singapore Art Museum are deeply saddened by the departure of Wu. We invite you to join us in commemorating this great artist at the exhibition.

Wu Guanzhong, Kites Seen Again, 又见风筝, 2003, Oil on canvas, 61 x 46cm,
Collection of National Heritage Board

Seeing the Kites Again is a showcase of 22 paintings from the donation. The exhibition was inspired by Wu's metaphor of the kite.

Since the 1960s, Wu Guanzhong has produced a great number works, based on his personal recollections. These works are centred on his home in the South of China, his childhood, as well as the villages and towns he has been to. His interest in life and his attention to ordinary scenes infuse his art with an aesthetic quality that demonstrated a return to simplicity.

This show is a special research exhibition by the National Art Gallery, Singapore, held on the premises of the Singapore Art Museum.