Culture Beat: Ethnic Mongolian painter's works displayed in Beijing

The exhibition of Guan Bu's works Photo: Courtesy of Tongliao Museum

A retrospective painting exhibition of ethnic Mongolian painter Guan Bu recently opened at the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing.   

The exhibition, which marks the 10th anniversary of Guan's death, showcases more than 70 of his most important works from his 60-year artistic career, covering various genres such as oil painting, Chinese painting, comic strips, craft art and seal carving.

The exhibition also displays some precious materials from across Guan's life, such as his photos, interviews, seals and publications. Several immersive academic activities around his artistic contributions will also be held.

Guan combined Chinese-style painting with Western realism, and integrated Chinese painting techniques with Western oil painting techniques, creating a unique way of presenting the grassland landscapes of his hometown.

Many of his works are exhibited for the first time to the public through this exhibition. 

Meng Xiangkun, director of the Tongliao Museum in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said that Guan was an outstanding representative of ethnic Mongolian art. 

The Guan Bu gallery, located inside the Tongliao Museum, officially opened in 2007. It now has 58 precious works by Guan in its permanent collection.

There was a lone seeker on the prairie. He was neither prospecting for buried mines nor chasing lost horses. Instead, he was looking for the colorful soul of the prairie, as ethnic Mongolian literature guru Brinberh described the painter in his The Seeker of the Colorful Soul of the Prairie-to Comrade Guan Bu.

The exhibition will run until October 29.