Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute

The Introduction of ZhangChunhe

the General Art Consultant of Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute

Born in Lijiang of the Naxi tribe, Yunnan province,in 1958 and graduated from the Fine Art Department of Beijing’s Central Academy of National Minorities in 1987.He always has been devoted to the study of modern Dongba-style painting and is one of the most representative pioneers in the modern Dongba style of painting. Currently working as a production designer at the August 1st Film Studio in Beijing,while serving as a member of China Artists Association, Director of China Murals Association,Vice-Chairman of the Association for the Promotion of Dongba Art＆Culture in Beijing,Vice-Chairman of the lnternational Society of Naxi Studies.Zhang is also a member of the Murals Committee of the Architectural Society of China.

Exhibitions＆Awards

1987: solo exhibition in Beijing.1990: organisedan art exhibition inJapan.1992: The 1^st Contemporary Art Exhibition,lsrael and s soloexhibition in Beijing.1993: took part in exhibition at the Embassy of Mexico, Beijingand inGermany.1994: joined exhibition at the Embassy of Romania,Beijingand inGermany.1998: exhibited in Beijing and won the Best Workaward for The Temple of Dongba at the National Mural Grand Exhibition.1999:twomurals selected for the National Mural Grand Exhibition.2000:entered Shangri-Lafor The 9^th National Art Exhibition and a solo exhibition inSingapore.2004:Soldiers Marching across Yunnan:Celebrationchosen to entet the 10^th National Art Exhibition.

Publications

Had published a series of personalcatalogues such as Contemporary Dongba Paintings of Zhang Chun He and A Collectionof Zhang Chun He’s Works etc.

Collections

Around 100 works acquired by China NationalMuseum of Fine Art,the Beijing lnternational Yiyuan Art Museum,the Museum ofEthnology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland,and the Art Gallery at theUniversity of Alabama in America,Chinese as well as overseas commercial organisationsand private art collectors.

“The works of translation carried out bythe Dongba Culture Research lnstitute,in a state of urgency, are not justattempts at“literaryrescue”,but also “pictographyrescue”,since the use of pictographs is fast disappearing.

Dongba pictography is reborn in the worksof a few modem Naxi painters who are incorporating them in the composition oftheir paintings.These painters,who are mostly scholars as well，have a deep knowledge of Dongbapictography. Their artistic styles are quite different but they all take Dongbapictographs as a source of inspiration. Modern Dongba painting is interestingfor its artistic value, and more importantly for its cultural transmission role.It is almost the last lively form of Dongba pictography, and represents theassimilation of religious principles into the area of art. And this is howthese Naxi artists are reacting to the rapid disappearance of their culture.”

—Ms Juliette Debon,

                French Scholar  zhu

                                                               Autobiography

I was born in a small Naxi village located at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang, with great passion and mission feels, I came to Beijing alone and finally find my own creative area. In my creative process, I am always been intoxicated in the free style to express my inner truly feelings through my modern Dongba paintings.With deeply breathing the life-force of nature, I try to look closely to the ancient Dongba culture and its unique characters. Just feel  like a listener between the contemporaries and ancients. I taken to the road of creating modern Dongba paintings without hesitation.

Every time i immerse fully to the creative process, itls like entering into a sort of visionary state of mind, which transcends the ordinary, every day world. In this state, I can literally feel the soul of our people's venerable ancestors touching me, triggering a chain reaction of creative inspirations inside me. In my work, I want to visually express the unending Karmic riggles of human life:birth and death, reality and illusion, good and evil. I attempt to merge my inner world into the vast universe to better express the union and nature and mankind, the continuous dialogue.

Long time ago our Naxi forefathers created the mysterious art to Dongba paintings as a way of articulating specific religious beliefs. I however paint because I like to express my creative spirit and as a way to invite the viewer into my inner world.

                                                                  --------------Zhang Chunhe

                                                                                            March, 1999

Oil Painting of Zhang Chunhe

现代东巴画派创始人，国家一级美术师

1958年生于云南省丽江,纳西族。1987年毕业于北京中央民族学院艺术系。张春和一直致力於研究当代东巴绘画,是当代东巴画派具有代表性的创始人之一。现任北京八一电影制片厂国家一级美术师、中国美术家协会会员、中国壁画协会理事、北京东巴文化艺术发展促进会副会长、国际纳西协会副会长、中国建筑学会壁画委员会委员。

参展及奖项

1987年在北京中国美术馆举办首次个人画展。1990年在日本举办“东巴的老故事”艺术展。1992年参加在以色列“第一届当代艺术展”。1992年在北京国际艺苑美术馆举办个人画展。1993年参加在北京的墨西哥领事馆艺术展及在德国艺术中心展览。1994年参加在北京的罗马尼亚领事馆艺术展及德国举办美术展。1998年在北京举办画展。壁画《东巴神韵》获全国壁画大展“佳作奖”。1999年壁画《圣域礼赞》和《家园情》入选全国壁画大展。2000年壁画《香格里拉》入选第九届全国美展,同年在新加坡法国文化中心举办个人画展。2004年大型浮雕壁画《红军长征过云南》参加第十届全国美展。2009年壁画《同心—1936》参加第十一届全国美展。2010年2月壁画《圆融世界·和合众生》参加第二届全国壁画大展。

张春和承担美术指导的电影《太行山上》、《集结号》获第十八届和第二十一届金鸡奖最佳美术提名奖。

出版发表

出版有《张春和当代东巴绘画》、《张春和画集》及《中国美术家档案—张春和卷》等一系列专集。

作品收藏

先后有100多张作品广泛被中国美术馆、国际艺苑美术馆、瑞士苏黎世大学博物馆、美国阿拉巴玛大学艺术馆及中外企业机构和私人收藏。

“在象形文字正濒临消失之时，东巴文化研究所进行的翻译工作不仅是一项非常紧张的“文字抢救”工作，而是一项“象形文字抢救”工作。

一些当代纳西画家把象形文字融入了他们的作品中，从而使东巴象形文字获得了新生。这些画家中的大多数同时也是学者，他们对东巴象形文字有很深的认识。虽然他们的艺术风格各不相同，但是他们都把象形文字当作创作之源泉。现代东巴画的趣味性在于它们不仅具有很高的艺术和审美价值，同时也起到了传承作用，几乎这最后活着的东巴象形文字把宗教融入了纯洁的艺术领域之中。这是艺术家们对他们濒临消失危险的文化作出的一种反应。”

2012年2月13日