Reclusive Painter, Wang Huaiqing Almost Eighty

 Odile Chen / Ravenel Quarterly No. 45 / 2023-11-23

In the autumn of 2007, I once wrote a special article for the old version of the quarterly column titled "Wang Huaiqing's paintings are so precious that their prices are steadily rising. He establishes a milestone and advances to set a new record," exploring the market trends of Wang Huaiqing that year. It was a peak year for the Chinese art market, with both modern and contemporary art thriving. The following year, 2008, despite being hit by a global financial crisis, Chinese contemporary art was one of the most severely affected sectors, and some aspects are yet to fully recover. However, in that year, Wang Huaiqing's auction turnover reached 350 million New Taiwan Dollars (US$11,126,618, data source: Artprice.com database), experiencing only modest fluctuations and remaining relatively stable.

Eight years later, in 2016, Wang Huaiqing's auction market experienced another peak, achieving a total turnover of nearly 370 million New Taiwan Dollars (US$11,447,445), marking an unprecedented peak in the artist's sales volume. Many years later, Wang Huaiqing's paintings are still considered "hard to come by," with only one or two oil paintings appearing in the auction market each year. Wang made a name for himself overseas in his early years, having studied in the United States and participated in exhibitions abroad, including France, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, and Japan, with the market focusing on the overseas Chinese collector circle.

Undervalued in this Locale, Revered Elsewhere; Now Thriving in the China Mainland Market.

The mainland's 'The Paper' describes Wang Huaiqing's market situation as follows: ... Wang Huaiqing is now a 'recluse' in the market. His works are rarely seen on the auction scene for several years, but once they appear, they often create high prices. In the May 2021 Beijing spring auction, Wang's "Eight Laws of Yongzi" set an auction record of 71.875 million yuan. Wang's market first emerged around the first wave of contemporary art enthusiasm in 2008. As a disciple of Wu Guanzhong, his works, combining Eastern and Western elements, were highly sought after overseas. Therefore, some people call him 'blooming outside the wall, fragrant inside the wall.' (Undervalued in this Locale, Revered Elsewhere) However, as China's art market influence gradually returns, his works are also gradually being valued by mainland China art museums, leading to many high prices."

In terms of the market, Wang's works first appeared in the September 1991 Hong Kong Christie's auction, and sporadically appeared at Hong Kong auctions every year. Taiwan's auction companies first saw them after the autumn auction in 2000. In the 1990s, Wang Huaiqing initially entered the commercial market, exhibiting in Hong Kong's Hanart TZ Gallery and Singapore's SooBin Art Gallery. After 1999, he first collaborated with the Taipei-based Lin & Keng Gallery. The mainland auction scene didn't see recommendations from Shanghai auction houses until 2006, starting relatively late.

Despite the saying 'blooming outside the wall, fragrant inside the wall' (Undervalued in this Locale, Revered Elsewhere), Wang Huaiqing is highly esteemed in the mainland. He is a favored disciple of Mr. Wu Guanzhong, and his mentor never hesitates to praise his talent. In addition to Wang's works being collected by the China National Art Museum and the Shanghai Art Museum in the early years, the Long Museum in Shanghai also holds his major oil paintings. According to auction data analysis, from 2000 to the present (2023), the market's "geographic distribution" is mainly concentrated in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, with market shares of 46.39%, 36.72%, and 16.89%, respectively. Reportedly, Wang Huaiqing has been on the "Hurun China Art List" for at least eight years, and although his works are relatively scarce, they still create ripples in the market.

Residing in Beijing, Wang Huaiqing seldom appears in public places, except when attending exhibitions. The most recent exhibition he participated in was the "Vertical – Horizontal: Wang Huaiqing's Art Exhibition" held at his alma mater, the Tsinghua University Art Museum, between 2021 and 2022. The large retrospective exhibition showcased more than seventy works, spanning fifty years of art. Over twenty experts and scholars were invited to participate in the art seminar, igniting a phenomenon centered around Wang Huaiqing in the Chinese art world. The museum also received numerous works donated by Wang to enrich its collection.

Despite the artist's consistent low-profile and mysterious presence, like a recluse, his works still have considerable visibility in the Chinese art market. In the attached table of "Top 20 Most Expensive Artworks of Wang Huaiqing Ever Sold at Auction" in this article, new rankings have been added in both 2021 and 2022. Particularly noteworthy is the artist's current record for the highest auction price, set by "Eight Laws of Yongzi" in 2021 at the Beijing YongLe Auction, with a transaction price of 71.875 million yuan (US$11,176,562).

Wu Guanzhong's Proud Disciple

Wang Huaiqing, also known as Wang Huai, is a third-generation Chinese oil painter, a member of the China Artists Association, and a first- grade artist at the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts. Born in 1944 in Beijing, his father was a carpenter, hoping that his child would have a practical future as a worker. However, Wang Huaiqing, exposed from an early age to the disassembly of ancient timber structures, had already planted the seeds of art. His mother, loving and supportive, encouraged Wang to doodle and paint alongside his two art- loving brothers. Growing up in the impoverished 1950s, surviving was a challenge, let alone pursuing art. Many years later, Wang still feels grateful for his mother's silent support.

In 1959, at the age of 15, Wang Huaiqing entered the High School Affiliated to the Central Academy of Fine Arts, undergoing rigorous training in realistic Soviet-style painting. During his spare time, influenced by postcards of Renaissance paintings brought back by friends from the church, he enlarged and copied the pictures, gaining enlightenment in Western modern art and broadening his artistic horizons. His outstanding artistic talent was recognized when his work "Steel Workers" won an award at the 1959 India International Children's Art Exhibition. In 1960, his woodcut print "Jingshan Park" participated in the Moscow International Children's Art Exhibition in the Soviet Union, further solidifying his foundation in painting. In 1964, at the age of 20, he was admitted to the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts (now Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts & Design). However, during the Cultural Revolution in mainland China, he was compelled to create propaganda art in large quantities. In 1970, he underwent labor reform in rural Hebei with the school, experiencing a concentrated camp-style rural life. During this period, he also painted and learned the ways of the world alongside Wu Guanzhong.

In 1971, he was assigned to work as a stage art designer for the People's Liberation Army, and during holidays, he engaged in his beloved oil painting and ink art creations. The Cultural Revolution posed hardships for anyone with a soul for free creation, and Wang Huaiqing, who experienced it, still feels the bitterness today. Wu Guanzhong once expressed that he sensed the 'tragic consciousness lurking in Wang Huaiqing's art.'

In 1972, at the age of 28, Wang Huaiqing married his art school classmate Xu Qinghui, and two years later, their daughter Wang Tiantian was born. Later, their daughter also pursued art, making their entire family artists. From 1975 to 1978, as the Cultural Revolution ended, he devoted a significant amount of time to studying oil painting, comics, and illustration works during his free time. Unsatisfied with his current achievements, in 1979, at the age of 35, Wang was admitted to the master's program at the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts for further education. He studied under masters such as Zhang Ding, Wu Guanzhong, Zhu Danian, and Yuan Yunfu, honing his artistic skills.

In 1980, during his studies, he organized the "Same Generation Painting Society" and held a contemporary oil painting exhibition at the China National Art Museum. Wang Huaiqing exhibited eight works, marking the first time the China National Art Museum hosted a privately organized group exhibition since its opening in 1963. This also set a precedent for the museum's paid collection of works. Wang's classic works like "Portrait of Bo Le," "Initial Snow," and "Jujube Trees" were all collected by the museum. In the same year, Wang also joined the China Artists Association, officially recognized as an artist. In 1981, he formally obtained his master's degree from the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts. The following year, his work "Mother of an Artist" participated in the French Spring Salon exhibition, and in 1983, he was transferred back to the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts, where he frequently participated in exhibitions both domestically and internationally.

In the early 1980s, there were two mainstream trends in the Chinese art scene: scar art and rural realistic painting. Wang Huaiqing created many well-received realistic style works during this period. Notable pieces include "Corns" and "Yellow River" in 1983, as well as portraits, "Struggling" collected by the Beijing Artists Association in 1984, and "April" collected by the China National Art Museum in 1985. Works like "Native Place" and "San Wei Book Room" in 1986 were also collected by the China National Art Museum. In 1985, Wang participated in the National Oil Painting Seminar held in Huangshan. Subsequently, a massive transformation occurred in the ideology of contemporary Chinese art. Dissatisfied with the left- leaning social realism framework and the prolonged politicization of art, the people-oriented '85 New Wave modern art movement emerged, promoting the vigorous development of contemporary art in China.

Inspiration from Ming-style Furniture: Painting with Calligraphic Consciousness

Wang Huaiqing's mentor, Wu Guanzhong, had a deep passion for sketching in his early years. He explored the black-and-white simplicity of the traditional Southern architecture, capturing the beauty of the white walls and black tiles in Lu Xun's hometown. Influenced by his mentor, Wang embarked on a journey to visit the ancient residences and buildings in Southern China. Within the architectural spaces of traditional structures, he discovered immense aesthetic beauty and energy. Works like "Native Place" and "San Wei Book Room," with their rich and rustic style, became highly acclaimed.

During his two-year research period in the United States from 1987 to 1988 as a visiting scholar at OCU (Oklahoma City University), Wang's accumulated creative energy underwent significant transformation. He expanded his horizons by visiting American museums and the art scene, presenting his works and gaining exposure. Returning to China in 1988 with his family, he declined all interviews and reports, dedicating himself to painting in seclusion. After this period of immersion, his artistic creations took on a stunning new form.

In 1989, he reinterpreted his previous work "Native Place" for the 7th National Art Exhibition, and the revised piece is now part of the Shanghai Art Museum's collection. In 1990, he created a series of works inspired by Ming-style furniture and Eastern architecture, including "Double Chairs," "Four Pillars Against the White Walls," "A Door to Another Room," and "Cut the White Window Rice Paper into Pieces with Black Window Frame." Additionally, he began creating Chinese ink paintings, seamlessly integrating Eastern and Western influences.

In 1991, inspired by the Tai Shi Chair, he created the monumental work "Great Ming Manner" for the inaugural 'First Annual Exhibition of Chinese Oil Painting' at the China National Art Museum, winning the gold medal and causing a sensation in the art world. This masterpiece marked the formal turning point in his style, where the simplicity and elegance of Eastern furniture were deconstructed or reconstructed. The black-and-white spaces, filled with cultural confidence, became his defining characteristic. Some have compared his black-and-white oil paintings to the work of French artist Pierre Soulages, yet Wang Huaiqing's paintings, enriched by his Eastern heritage and background in stage design, carry a unique historical and calligraphic consciousness within the spatial composition.

In the consecutive years of 1993 and 1994, Wang Huaiqing presented a series of Chinese ink works in Singapore, combining the female form with still-life paintings, exuding a touch of Eastern mysteriousness yet brimming with personal innovation. In the preface to the exhibition catalog in 1994, Wu Guanzhong wrote, "'In New Bamboo Taller Than the Old', Wang does not follow my tracks, choosing to explore a new route even if it means risking a fatal tumble on the way. Indeed, he has chosen not to rest on his laurels and be a prisoner of honors; he does not repeat, parrot-fashion: he has not lost his head facing the onslaught of economic prosperity. I hope and cherish this grass to be forever tough against strong winds." Wu Guanzhong's encouragement was abundant for the works of his accomplished disciple.

Space and Time. The Elegance and Steadiness of Cultural Grandeur.

Wang Huaiqing senses an urgent cultural crisis. Growing up in the culturally rich city of Beijing, he laments the rapid disintegration of the beautiful traditions of the past. After deep internalization and contemplation, he devoted time to searching for traces of history, particularly captivated by traditional folk art architecture and entranced by the rich flavors of old bottles, tiles, window flower wood carvings, and furniture components in the antique market. He also focused on the correspondence of color, structure, and space in painting. His matured paintings include culturally profound thematic works such as "Night Revel," "Soundless Sound," "Gold Stone," "Portrait of Stool," among others. In 1998, Wang Huaiqing's works were featured in the globally renowned Guggenheim Museum's "5000 Years of Chinese Art" exhibition, and his works were collected in the "Collected Works of Chinese Modern Art." His art gained attention both domestically and internationally.

After 2000, Wang Huaiqing confidently created a series of large- scale masterpieces, such as "Mono Infinity," "Homeless Furniture," "House in a House," "Age of 5000 Years," "Trace of Nature," "High Mountain Water Fall," "Happiness," "Flying Apsaras," etc., featuring ancient cultural symbols and more intricate, magnificent spatial creations.

Wang Huaiqing is known for his careful and rigorous personality, setting high standards for himself. He is deeply involved in every creation, making his works extremely rare in the market, catering to the taste of small-budget collectors. In 2002, at the invitation of the Spanish Poligrafa Printmaking Company and the Lin & Keng Gallery, he went to Barcelona to create five copperplate prints. Poligrafa had previously collaborated with masters like Zao Wou-ki and Chu Teh-Chun, adding symbolic significance to the collaboration.

Wang Huaiqing transformed Ming-style furniture into black and white, abstracted it into a flat plane, and later in his works, he rendered the flat structure three-dimensional, a natural evolution. In his flat paintings, he added collage elements, combining two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements, and finally interpreted his art through three- dimensional installations. In his creative statement, Wang Huaiqing once mentioned, "Use 'folding' and 'stacking' to replace the traditional meanings of 'carving' and 'molding' – a new three-dimensionality." This completed his innovative research. His art should also include the fourth dimension of time, as he once said, "Vertical and horizontal vectors have spatial and temporal dimensions," and the significance of this vertical and horizontal dimension is also the title of his retrospective exhibition from a year or two ago, summarizing the depth of his art.

In the years around his seventieth birthday, Wang Huaiqing held the solo exhibition "One to All" at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and in Japan, the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art hosted the exhibition "Out of the Mountains – Wang Huaiqing Solo Exhibition," marking a milestone in his life stage. In 2024, Wang will celebrate his eightieth birthday, and his art may once again attract attention from the art collecting community, perhaps heralding a grand retrospective exhibition on the horizon.