12月22日，“非凡珠联 艺术之光:中国宋锦和欧洲绘画国际跨界艺术展——大师钱小萍&大师莫迪里阿尼”在苏州丝绸博物馆开幕。
The opening ceremony of “Extraordinary Combination, Light of Art: International Art Exhibition of Chinese Song Brocade and European Painting” was held at Suzhou Silk Museum on December 22. The oriental Song brocade and occidental painting transcend the time and have a close connection in Suzhou. The exhibition will last until March 27, 2022.
An “encounter” between masters of arts
The exhibition serves as a bridge between Chinese Song brocade and Italian paintings. Up to 60 selected artworks are exhibited: 30 pieces of Song brocade fabric works by Qian Xiaoping and 30 paintings by Amedeo Modigliani.
Named after the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279), the period during which it was invented, the Song brocade is China’s most luxurious and complicated form of brocade silk. The fabric is characterized by its vivid hues, exquisite patterns and luscious, soft texture.Since this kind of fabric is mainly produced in Suzhou, it’s also known as “Suzhou Song Brocade”.
It was included in China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006 (first batch) and later included by UNESCO in its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2009.
During the 2014 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Beijing, Song brocades were used to dress the leaders and their spouses in a grand family photo.
Qian Xiaoping is a national representative inheritor of Song brocade. She has dedicated almost her entire career to the preservation and restoration of the ancient art form and her artistry fully represents the elegance and exquisiteness of Chinese silk fabrics.
Amedeo Modigliani was one of the greatest painters of the 20th century. With a unique poetical temperament, he created a special artistic style through the sculptor’s eyes.
The two masters of arts, who were unconnected before, finally had an interaction that transcends the time and space in the historical and cultural city of Suzhou.
Aperfect re-creation of famous paintings based on Song brocade
The Song Brocade version of Modigliani’s masterpieces is quite a highlight of the exhibition. Qian Xiaoping fully utilized the fabric structure of Song brocade and employed unique design techniques to restore the beauty of light and shadow of the original paintings.
Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne (original)▼
▲Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne (Song brocade version)
The six re-created masterpieces include Portrait of Jeanne Hebuterne, Two Girls, Seated Woman, Jeanne Hebuterne (with a hat),Jeanne Hebuterne (with a scarf),and Reclining Nude.
“Although the re-creation of the six paintings was complicated and involved dozens of steps and numerous adjustments, I think it’s worth all the efforts.” said Qian, adding that it’s a necessary attempt for Song brocade to stay vitalized in the new era.
The exhibition has received strong support from European Arts Union and the Amedeo Modigliani Foundation. With permission from the Amedeo Modigliani, Qian Xiaoping innovatively reproduced thepaintings using the weaving technique of Chinese Song Brocade.
“It’s a grand event for Italy, Amedeo Modigliani, and residents in Suzhou.” said Li Yang on behalf of Luciano Renzi, President of the Amedeo Modigliani Foundation.
