In Black Ink Qian Shaowu Nudes Shine

The female body is sometimes best depicted by curvy lines in black ink on white paper, as Qian Shaowu seems to tell us. Well known for his massive heroic sculptures and calligraphy, Qian’s paintings at the group exhibition “Ink and the Body” at Ink Studio in Beijing constitute a more intimate look into his body of work. This is a rare opportunity to see his confident and carefree lines bring to life the various relaxed positions that he painted of his wife. Economy of lines seems simple to master but it is not.

Born in 1928 in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province of a prestigious family, Qian studied at the Sculpture Department of Central Academy of Fine Arts, where he became its dean after spending six years in USSR. Highly lauded in China’s academic world, his nude drawings are the lesser known of his works but probably the most touching.
His extensive work can also be found in the collection of the National Art Museum of China.