Municipal Academic Conference Event

　　Time: 2:30 p.m., September 29, 2020
　　Keynote Speaker: Xue Liang (Director of the Exhibition Department, Beijing Academy of Painting Museum)
　　Lecture Content: “From Carpenter to Master—Qi Baishi’s Life and Art”

　　Xue Liang began by sharing with the audience Qi Baishi’s life story—how he rose from being a carpenter to becoming a master artist. Qi Baishi’s life can be divided into three distinct stages: The first stage was spent under the tutelage of Lu Ban. He apprenticed under his uncle, learning “rough woodworking,” and later switched to “fine woodworking” under an ornate woodcarver. The second stage marked his encounter with a pivotal mentor in his life. At the age of 27, he became a student of Hu Qinyuan, a local gentry, studying meticulous-style paintings of flowers, birds, grasses, and insects. He also studied landscape and figure painting under folk painters. The third stage was characterized by his five journeys away from home and five returns. At the age of 40, following the ancient wisdom that “read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles,” Qi Baishi set out on a journey away from his hometown. Over the course of eight years, he traveled extensively through Shaanxi, Henan, Beijing, Hebei, Hubei, Jiangxi, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and the two Guangdong provinces, covering nearly half of China. During this time, he marveled at famous mountains and rivers, immersed himself in the unique cultures of various regions, and made numerous connections with prominent figures of his era. He referred to these eight years of experience as “Five Journeys Away and Five Returns.”