In both the impressionistic and meticulous styles of traditional Chinese painting, Chen Mengxin is renowned as a painter who relishes in the human form.

In his impressionistic mode, he paints with a free and easy hand. Succinct in composition and emphasizing the inner life, his figures possess poetic charms. Under his brush, beautiful and noble women are brought to life, while they enjoy plum blossoms and play a xiao (a bamboo flute), or meditate under the moon.

Chen also applies his pliable brush to the practice of a traditional meticulous style, while rendering a modern and original form - considered by critics to be an important and singular accomplishment. He depicts figures and backgrounds in picturesque disorder with complicated, detailed and distinct lines. The exaggerated figures in his paintings are varied in their delightful poses. A prolific painter of the academicism school, Chen revels in sharp contrast between cool and warm colors. His work delivers a strong visual impact through powerful composition.

Many of his meticulous paintings are infused with strong ethnic flavor, such as On the Pamirs, A Land Closing to the Sun and Here Water, Here Earth. Overall, Chen Mengxin's figure paintings depict a harmonious relationship between human and nature.

Chen Mengxin

The artist serves as vice president of the Hubei Academy of Fine Arts, vice president of the Hubei Provincial Artists Association, member of the China Artists Association and vice president of the Hubei Provincial Intellectual Federation. Chen enjoys a subsidy for experts as issued by the provincial government of Hubei, as well as a special subsidy from the State Council. Chen's On the Pamirs won the bronze prize at the Seventh National Fine Arts Exhibition; Autumn Requiem took the best-work prize at the First National Exhibition of Traditional Chinese Paintings; The Warm Moon won the silver prize at the Second National Exhibition of Traditional Chinese Paintings and the bronze prize at the Tenth National Fine Arts Exhibition; Here Water, Here Earth won the Excellent-Work Prize at the Eighth National Fine Arts Exhibition and the gold prize at the Eighth Hubei Fine Arts Exhibition; and Eulogy on a Tablet won the gold prize at the Ninth Hubei Fine Arts Exhibition.

Chen Mengxin has held personal exhibitions in countries outside of China, including Canada and the United States. And some of his pieces were selected by the China Artists Association and the Ministry of Culture to be exhibited in Japan, Germany, France and the United States. The Warm Moon was collected by the National Art Museum of China. Chen has also published several albums, including "Selected Traditional Chinese Paintings of Chen Mengxin," "Selected Modern Meticulous Deep-Colored Paintings of Chen Mengxin" and "Selected Sketches of Chen Mengxin." His paintings have entered the books on modern Chinese fine arts, modern Chinese figure paintings and Chinese meticulous paintings.

(China Pictorial June 28, 2005)