On the afternoon of December 29, 2019, "The Root and the Soul – An Invitational Exhibition of 70 Artists to Mark the 70th Birthday of New China" was opened at the National Museum of China.

Trip to Meizhou II, Du Dakai, 2015

The works by the professors from the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, including Feng Yuan, Liu Jude, Du Dakai, Zeng Chenggang, Li Xiangqun, Dai Daquan, Gu Liming and Chen Hui (in no particular order), have made it into the exhibition. The artists involved in the exhibition roughly fall into to two groups, the first-generation artists of New China and the young and middle-aged artists. Though in their twilight years, the first-generation artists remain energetic and are full of drive in creation, delivering one outstanding work after another. The young and middle-aged artists active in the frontline of creation play a guiding role in the contemporary landscape of artistic creation. It can be said that the impressive lineup consisting of the first-generation artists and the young and middle-aged artists not only contains the historical logic about the art development in New China, but also shows the future and hope of contemporary Chinese art.

Liang Shan Hao Han, Zeng Chenggang

The exhibition features works in the four categories of traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, printmaking and sculpture. In celebration of the 70th birthday of the People's Republic of China, 70 highly accomplished frontline artists have been invited by the National Museum of China to contribute to "The Root and the Soul – An Invitational Exhibition of 70 Artists to Mark the 70th Birthday of New China".

The Birthplace, Liu Jude, 2016

Over the past seven decades, the artists share the common fate with the country, the nation and the people, and closely associate their creation with people's life. Whether in the initial stage of New China or in the new era of reform and opening-up, the artistic creation demonstrates new achievements in socialist construction and plays an irreplaceable role in shaping the look of the times and in meeting the people's ever-growing cultural needs.

This Life and the after, Feng Yuan, 2011

In the days marking the 70th founding anniversary of New China, "The Root and the Soul – An Invitational Exhibition of 70 Artists to Mark the 70th Birthday of New China" held in the National Museum of China, a national-level cultural palace, represents not only a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, but also a thorough sort-out of the 70-year development of fine arts in the country. The exhibition shall last till February 9, 2020.

Data Collecting: Yang Jieping

Editor: Luo Xuehui, Zhao Ruohan