I recently received a very special letter from China! I was contacted to participate in the First Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel Exhibition, in China, something that made me very excited!
The event was organized by the Federation of Literary and Art Circles of Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai City, and the “Association of Artists and Pastel Painting Society” of the same city.
On the afternoon of December 6, with the sun shining brightly, on the banks of the beautiful Haojiang River, the Lian Yiqing Pastel Art Museum built in the Wanchai Civic Art Center, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai City, held its opening ceremony and held the “2021 First Lian Yiqing” Cup Pastel Painting Exhibition and the 7th Zhuhai Shutong Art Pastel Painting Invitation Exhibition”.
The story behind this first Pastel exhibition is very interesting;
At the beginning of the 20th century, the famous painter and artist Professor Li Chaoshi brought the technique of dry pastel from France to his native country and became the first person in the art of pastel painting in all China. Under his leadership and following in his footsteps, many artists have made great contributions to the promotion of the art of soft pastel in China.
The most important among them was the painter Gaozu Lian Yiqing, whose name this first exhibition bears. In the early 1980s, it was also Gaozu Lian Yiqing who compiled and published a collection of pastel paintings from his mentor and teacher, Li Chaoshi, instructing, developing, and producing pastel materials.
In 1985, under the leadership of Lian Yiqing, China’s first professional pastel painting organization, “Shanghai Pastel Painting Society”, was established and he was its first president. Since then, the art of pastel painting has gradually spread throughout China, and “fans of dry pastel have emerged like bamboo shoots after a rain.” 
2021首届连逸卿杯粉画展, pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
2021首届连逸卿杯粉画展, pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Lian yiqing was born in Songyang, Zhejiang in 1917; he joined the Department of Painting of the Hangzhou National Academy of Art (now China Academy of Art) in 1933. He served as head of the painting research and teaching group of the Department of Performing Arts of the Shanghai Theater Academy in 1954.
He instructed the experimental production of the specialty of Soft Pastel and paper in 1984; In 1985, he served as president of the Shanghai Pastel Painting Society. In 1993 he directed the production of the pastel art teaching film “The Art of Pastel Painting”, which was published and distributed at home and abroad.
著名画家、艺术家李超士教授将, 2021首届连逸卿杯粉画展, pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China, 著名画家、艺术家李超士教授将
Lian-Yiqing-连逸卿《过道寸金地》63X46cm
Here I post some photos of the exhibition and some of the works kindly sent to me by Mr. Zhang Xiaohui, President of the “Zhuhai Xiangzhou Pastel Alliance”, in China. I am very happy to be able to share them with everyone who likes the wonderful art of Pastel painting!
李 靖《有风的下午》 pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Cristiane Schilwinski pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Katherine Pruvost pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Cheng LIAN pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
章彤《女孩肖像》54X39 cm pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Danielle Troehler pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Borse Parag Dinesh pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Barbara Jaenicke pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition
Graciela Bombalova, Spring 50x65cm, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition
连放 《李超士故居》39x54cm, Pastel Exhibition 2021
Natalia Polikarpova pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Jim Quinn pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Ana Perello pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition
张玉莉 《圆滚滚的小手》 pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
Aidan Butler 爱尔兰 November Rain 20x30cm, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition
李程《老人》50x32cm, pastel painting, first Yiqing Lian 2021 Soft pastel exhibition, China
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