Wang Wei, died of illness, in Zhengzhou at 6:30 a.m. on November 9th, 2020, aged 90. He is a famous printmaker and art educator in China. He is Honorary Members of Henan Provincial Literature and Arts Association, the 4th Council Member of Chinese Artists Association, Honorary President of Henan Artists Association, Consultant of Henan Painting and Calligraphy Institute, Librarian of Henan Research Institute of Culture and History, and former Director and professor of Fine Arts Department of Henan University. Lu Keping, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Henan University, sent a message of condolence. Tan Zhen, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of Henan University, and faculty of HENU departments expressed their condolence.
On the morning of November 13rd, 2020, the memorial service of Wang Wei was held by Henan Provincial Literature and Arts Association. Liu Jie, President of Henan Artists Association presided over the memorial service.
During his lifetime, Mr. Wang Wei played a leading and important role in promoting Henan’s fine arts and Henan’s modern fine arts education, with far-reaching influence. The participants deeply cherished and commemorated Mr. Wang Wei. The part of the representative speeches are as follows.
Wang Shouguo, Secretary of the CPC Leadership Group of Henan Provincial Literature and Arts Association and President of Henan Literary Critics Association: Now, our Central Plains’s painting style and Central Plains’s paintings have more influence throughout the country. Central Plains’s painting is now one of the top painting styles of the national art phalanx. Mr. Wang Wei’s has played a significant role. Such accomplishment is inseparable from his achievements of that age. When drinking water, one should never forget those who dug the well. We all should deeply cherish the memory of Mr. Wang Wei. As an outstanding art educator, Wang Wei established immortal exploits in Henan and even in the mid-western part of China during the development of modern art education. His students are all over the country. He has taught, influenced, and inspired generations of artists. From now on, we should pass on the spirit of Mr. Wang Wei, including his valuable experience, from generation to generation. This is the best way for us to commemorate Mr. Wang Wei.
Ding Zhongyi, Consultant of Henan Artists Association: Wang Wei and I were schoolmates in the university. He went to the university two years earlier than me. I graduated in 1960. He came back to Henan in 1958. The first person I came into contact with was him when I came to Henan. He looked serious, but he was a very humorous person, combining both charaters.
I think we should let a hundred flowers bloom in arts, which is the same at all times and at home and abroad. The artist should keep up with the times. His works reflect the times and are highly regarded. He worked at a provincial organ, so he took social and political situation seriously. His paintings have always kept up with the times. When looking at his paintings, I can think of the social situation at that time and feel it. His best painting is "Millions of Soldiers in the Chest", which is a powerful painting of Chairman Mao. His paintings are closely related to the times and are very rigorous. He is worth to be learned and respected. We had a good relationship.
I came to Henan in 1960 and it was during the Chinese Famine. We were badly off at that time. Once I went to his home, he was drinking soup, with sweat trickling down his forehead. Looking at the painting on the wall—— "A Bumper Harvest is in Sight", I felt that although life is hard, he just thought about tomorrow and good things, which is very touching. From these works, we can see his situation at the time. He is an admirable printer.
Ma Guoqiang, Honorary President of Henan Provincial Literature and Arts Association and Honorary President of Henan Provincial Artists Association: I am Mr. Wang Wei's student. I cried twice for him. The first time was when he was very ill and I went to see him without his permission. Because of sending me the message, the student made Mr. Wang angry, for Mr. Wang did not want to trouble others; I secretly went there several times. At that time, the teacher could not open his eyes. I crouched over the bed, saying I was Guoqiang but Mr. Wang could not say anything. A sense of melancholy occurred to me.
If I have any achievements in drawing now, Mr. Wang Wei’s help in my sketching can’t go unnoticed. He once said: “Drawing a sketch is like to develop a film step by step. You shouldn’t start from the inside. On the contrary, you should start from whole to details.” Is this just about sketching? It is true of everything. Instead of focusing on one particular thing, you should look at the large picture, achieving progress gradually. Every Tom, Dick and Harry look before and after. When in class, Mr. Wang Wei wrote the word "whole" on the blackboard, which I remembered all my life. This is a methodology, involving dialectics, and also can be used in work. Why is philosophy the master key to life? Because it is universal, connected with all methodologies. Indeed, I have benefited for a lifetime. Therefore, I hope that Henan University will conduct a special study on Mr. Wang's sketch.
Ma Ling, Consultant of Henan Artists Association: As for my relationship with Mr. Wang, first Of all, I am a student of Mr. Wang, and secondly, Mr. Wang Wei is my elder brother-in-law. It is different from the general kinship.
Among all the contributions, he was instrumental in art education. When he taught in school, he was one of the students' favorite and most popular teachers, no matter in our time or in the later years. Not only did he have professional skill, but he also created a more correct path for his students. There was a period of time when "workers, peasants and soldiers" students chose their teacher. If it were not for Mr. Wang, those students would not be willing to take other teacher’s classes. I think, Professor Wang is respected firstly because of his works. Secondly because he is kind and generous, caring about his students very much. However, having a good attitude is not enough. The most important thing is to solve problems. Since he owned a generous mind, he never had a fight with others and often remained silent. In all these aspects, he was a good role model. Even if there was an attack on him, he could still keep tolerant. I feel that such a magnanimous gesture is worthy of respect.
Wang Yanfa, Consultant of Henan Artists Association: As for professional fields, he is a grand master; as for demeanor, he is a role model of a generation. Recalling Mr. Wang Wei’s life, it can be said that I have been getting along with him for the longest time. It has been nearly 50 years since the 1970s. When I entered the school in the 1970s, my first teacher was Mr. Wang Wei. He taught me from the countryside to the university, from observing plaster models to drawing geometric shapes, and to recognize sketch later.
He paid much attention to the young teachers-- the training of their professional thinking and professional skills. What’s more, he often organized young teachers to draw sketches inside a big classroom. Thus, a lot of teachers were painting there at that time. On one hand they could communicate; on the other hand, they could make mutual progress. It makes sense, I think. It is because of Mr. Wang's academic ideas, principles and teaching schemes, as well as his standards and requirements for teaching, that Henan University has cultivated a group of leading art educators in China, such as Wang Yingsheng, Ma Guoqiang and other students, who are very influential throughout the country.
Xie Bingyi, vice president of Henan Artists Association: I remember when I met Mr. Wang Wei, his house was in the small family housing facility of Henu on Longhu Street. Thereafter, Mr. Wang moved to Minglun Street, the living place also very narrow, which was a bungalow. I had a vague memory that the studio was a little bit of an extension to the kitchen with only a window. On that day, Mr. Wang was dressed very simply, wearing a hunting cap and a thick scarf. He was a very down - to - earth, friendly person.
We felt it an honor to have been taught by Teacher Wang himself. His teaching was earnest. With his excellent works as examples and his incisive language, a demonstration could be understood easily. After watching his sketch, I knew the relationship between tight and loose, parts and whole. Up to now, I couldn’t forget the sketch he taught. So to speak, his words and deeds exerted huge impact on us students
Zhao Zhengan, Vice President of Henan Calligraphers Association and former Dean of the Arts College of Henan University: Mr. Wang has made remarkable achievements in painting and art education. He served as the Director of Fine Arts Department of Henan University, as well as the President of Henan Artists Association. Excelling in every aspect, he was an immortal monument in field of Henan arts and arts education colleges and universities in Henan Province. I regard Mr. Wang as a "three in one" -- creation, education and management. Future research on Miss Wang should be further deepened from these aspects. When it comes to work, I remember very clearly, once he said that we made no progress in sketch teaching and color basal teaching. Several young teachers may attach little importance to these aspects, and put emphasis on the modern consciousness. He didn’t approve of this idea. Especially for freshmen, they must lay a solid foundation, or the students’ future will be destroyed. Mr. Wang always took great efforts to guide the teaching of the Arts College from all aspects. In addition to ensuring the teaching to carry out normally, he paid more attention to the young, especially the young teachers’ development. He suggested that I set a rule-- let the young teacher do a report exhibition every semester or every year. Later, I executed the work-- to perform an exercising exhibition at the end of a semester; to perform a creating exhibition at the end of a year-- according to the requirements of Mr. Wang Wei. In this way, young and middle-aged teachers are encouraged to improve their teaching and creative ability. After that, At Henan Art Museum, "the Charm of Art of Yellow River"-- arts works display of Henan University— was held. Hence I obtained high praise from all walks of life. This is also traceable to Mr. Wang's teaching. Apart from that, he has given me guidance and encouragement in my artistic advancement, especially emphasizing the relationship between cultural literacy and artistic creation, and it is particularly important to engage in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy creating. Mr. Wang’s edification will never be forgotten.
Cheng Zhaoxing, Consultant of Henan Artists Association: In effect, I am not an official student of Henan University. I joined the Night Class of HENU in Zhengzhou run by Mr. Wang Wei for several times during those years. We were the first group. Mr. Wang taught us, and I was of course a student of Mr. Wang.
Mr. Wang also had a great influence on the printmaking in China, especially in the 1950s. I was born in 1957, and his prints created in 1957 were displayed in the third National Printmaking Exhibition. I knew that many of his prints were created in the 1950s, and among them, 13 were kept in the National Art Museum of China, which was also very remarkable. There were not many people from Henan whose works could be showed in the National Art Museum of China; this museum had a more profound meaning. All of these showed that his printmaking was influential. In terms of artistic achievements, Wang Wei's prints are overarching. When you open his collection of paintings, a very strong sense of times, simple life and sincere personal temperament can be reflected.
Yuan Rubo, Vice President of Henan Artists Association: He was an excellent artist. At first, I had little access to drawing. The first lecture about creating that I attended was given by Mr. Wang Wei, who valued life experience affecting my whole life. Up to now, I still believe that creation comes from life, and creation is for the service of the masses, rather than from aesthetically irrelevant things and so-called personality. Such a belief is important to my current creation. As far as I am concerned, art works should reflect life and times, and lead the trend of beauty and times forward, rather than backward. It is necessary to be creative, but creativity develops on the basis of inheritance, service to the society, and positive energy. Therefore, he is a prominent artist.
Wang Wei was often invited to participate in the teachers’ forum, and every time he expressed his opinions in earnest. He shared a lot about teaching thinking, including the development of the college, emphasis on the core, and the basic education and training for the young people. Their generation has a strong sense of purpose, regarding things associated to the Arts College as domestic things.
Wang Dapeng, the eldest son of Wang Wei and Professor of School of Traditional Chinese Painting of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts: My father's prints creation has never been interrupted. Unlike some students who just learn and do not engage in creation, once started, my father would continue. During the 1950s and 1970s, he maintained the continuity of creating printmaking. As to sketching, Liu Wenxi(a famous artist) said, “Wang Wei’s sketching is wonderful.” As to the artistic point of view, Wang Shouguo said, “Your father knows what a good painting is.” At that time, I thought it was a very common remark, but then I realized it was a great accomplishment. A person can understand, appreciate, and succinctly analyze a painting, showing his artistic judgment and discernment. He really likes painting.
My mother often complained that my father would not take a day off, even during the summer vacation, because he indulged himself in printmaking, with sweat pouring off him. He loved art and painting, not with the purpose of making a living or getting something.
In terms of educating children, he always taught us by his words and deeds. He never ask for someone to arrange our education, job or promotion. Never! If you have the ability, you do; if not, you can find another job. He would not pull the strings for us. He didn't force or demand that my siblings and I learn to draw. In our small room of 27 square meters, when he was drawing we would be on his side. We were influenced and cultivated years of years, because my father was in front of us, with only a few dozen centimeters away. He never said you had to be a painter or an art teacher or anything like that. Never! At my younger age, I could not understand. But gradually I realize the meaning behind it and educating children in this way.
At last, President Liu Jie made a summary. He thinks that Mr. Wang Wei is an important "pioneer", promoter and founder of the development of modern fine arts in Henan Province, including the development of modern fine arts education. We should always in memory of Wang Wei.
Recently, Mr. Wang Wei's former colleagues, old friends and students have expressed their grief and paid tribute in various ways and through various channels. Let us follow the proposal of Wang Shouguo and pass on from generation to generation Mr. Wang Wei's artistic spirit and the valuable creation and teaching experience he has accumulated. This may be the best way for us to honor Mr. Wang Wei. His memory lives on.
