Mr. Weng Naiqiang is always a famous and respectful teacher in CAFA, not only because he is kind, honest, modest and humorous, but also the first one who opened up the photography class in CAFA. Most of the art majors are interested in the visual art of photography. So many students choose his class as an elective course.
Mr. Weng appeared more as a well-known photographer beyond academic scope and in global art field after the year of 2006. A great number of his color pictures reflecting the Chinese Culture Revolution, which was never published before, made their debuts. In front of the works featuring compact structure, rich color, striking and impressive visual expression, we felt the unprecedented visual power delivered by a photographer’s loyalty to recording the history in the era when the visual narration and the public vision in the country were being greatly changed; and saw how a photographer collected, framed and recorded each typical scene in a revolution with great courage, enthusiasm and unique perspective, and how he established his way of observation with the camera in the unique cultural and historical context. Mr. Weng in his youth, together with his photographs taken in the special historical period, always burst out a kind of breathtaking power. Such kind of power is usually originated from his most plain understanding towards photography, i.e. recording time is the everlasting pursuit! In a sense, Mr. Weng is not only someone who made notes for history with plain and simple visual images, but also the very artist who created typical visual examples for the special time. Given this, we expect to base on photography and focus on the special characteristics of the media, to outline how a photographer with strong personal characteristics, observed a state, a society, an academy and a family from his own perspective and in his own way in a specific historical period, and created a brand new visual experience; or how we should consider the interaction in expression, generated from the image production reflecting the national consciousness and visual “fragments” reflecting personal experience in the special time, as well as their significance and value in today. This is the core issue in the face of the exhibition.
As one of the artists from the generation grown and developed in the early period of new China, and one of the founders of the photography teaching in CAFA, Mr. Weng Naiqiang is always an enthusiast of art education and forever concerns the development of teaching in CAFA. Considering Mr. Weng’s artistic achievements and contribution to the teaching, we discussed with him about collecting his works. Mr. Weng then generously agreed to donate 143 artworks and a large number of image archives, which greatly enriched the collection of CAFA Art Museum. The new collections from him will provide important references for the future case studies, and will play an essential role in future teaching practices and exhibitions here. Today with the donation exhibition of Mr. Weng Naiqiang, we would extend our respect and appreciation to him for his selfless donation and contribution.
* image (left) © Weng Naiqiang
Courtesy of CAFA Art Museum
