Chinese Spirit Injected into Oil Painting

Sad and happy intersection-Hong Yi, Sun Jianping, 160 x130cm, oil painting on canvas, 2014. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The freehand style of xieyi, literally painting the spirit, which is unique to the classic Chinese ink painting, emphasizes depicting a feeling of poetry and intensity through loosely brushwork rather than detailed strokes.

Since the 19th century when the practice of oil paintings began to spread in China, home-grown artists have for generations sought to incorporate the xieyi style into their creation of oil works, adapting the Western art form to a Chinese aesthetic context.

The third Annual Exhibition of Chinese Freehand Oil Paintings, launched in 2016 at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum in Shenzhen, shows works of 87 painters from across the country. The exhibition through Aug 22 showcases their recent development on oil canvas.

Jinkou Road series: 2, Li Yanzhou, 90x90cm, oil painting on canvas, 2015. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Persimmon tress behind the house, Mao Daizong, 150x150 cm, oil painting on canvas, 2017. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Snow in Jiangnan series: 10, Wong Kaixuan, 120x150cm, oil painting on canvas, 2017. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Drama character, Yue Haitao, 120x80cm, oil painting on canvas, 2017. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Elderly of the Kathmandu, Liu Daming, 150x70cm, oil painting on canvas, 2018. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Qin Qiong, Gu Liming, 70x50 cm, oil painting on canvas, 2017. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Pines in the wind, Chen Xiangbing, 80x60cm, oil painting on canvas, 2017. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Dance of the shadow series: 49, Zhuang Zhong, 194x130cm, oil painting on canvas, 2016. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Spring Equinox, Huang Liyou, 230x150cm, oil painting on canvas, 2018. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Istanbul, Shi Yu, 200x200cm, oil painting on canvas, 2017. [Photo provided to China Daily]