Artist’s deepest longing for mountainous hometown vividly depicted on canvas
In the strokes of Wang Haixia’s brush, the Taihang Mountains are not just towering landscapes as seen through others’ eyes, but a lively part of her very being. Pear blossoms adorn the branches in spring, mountain streams sing joyfully in summer, the hills turn a golden hue in autumn and in winter, they are blanketed in pristine snow. Each vine, each tile, in Wang’s paintings, is imbued with the deepest longing for her hometown.
Though having settled in Songjiang, Shanghai, for more than 20 years, the artist still harbors a profound sense of nostalgia for the undulating mountains of her youth, a sentiment that vividly permeates through every stroke of her brush.
This nostalgia, a lingering echo of her past, is beautifully encapsulated in her recent exhibition at Xianhe Art Museum, where each piece shows her enduring love for the memories of her formative years and are also a bridge that connects her rural beginnings in Henan Province and her urban present in Songjiang.
The first floor of the gallery was predominantly dedicated to the Taihang Mountains series, a collection of Wang’s finest work over the past decade. As a Jiaozuo native of Henan, she always marveled at the beauty of the mountain scenery and the simplicity and honesty of the villagers.
“In those days, there weren’t many parks, so hiking was our favorite pastime,” she reminisced. “No bad mood couldn’t be cured by a hike.”
However, since relocating to Shanghai for university over two decades ago, her opportunities to return home dwindled. This growing distance from her roots fueled a deep homesickness, a sentiment she transformed into dreamlike imagery on her canvas.
In her travels through the mountainous areas to seek artistic inspiration, Wang often found herself in remote, mystical places that seemed untouched by time.
“The essence of the Taihang Mountains lies in their raw, unspoiled grandeur. I could feel the soul of these mountains in their primitive and majestic beauty,” she said.
The Taihang Mountains are a masterpiece of nature’s own making, a place where not only the bounty of natural resources and the elegance of scenic beauty converge but also where the profound cultural sentiments of China’s history are deeply ingrained.
Wang spent a decade interpreting and capturing this essence. Through her art, she explores and unfolds the layers of natural wonder and the accumulated human experiences etched within this remarkable landscape.
One painting in the series depicts a farmhouse on the Taihang, a mélange of abstract impressions that evoke the spirit of the mountain. The canvas is awash with a warm, autumnal palette — burnt oranges meld with umbers and creams, interspersed with verdant greens and slate grays. The composition is bisected into two realms: the superior, where a creamy expanse hints at an overcast sky, dappled with ethereal shapes, and the inferior, where more tangible forms suggest the intimacy of rural architecture nestled amidst nature.
At the heart stands a venerable tree, its branches reaching out into the soft chaos of color around it. It might be the artist’s deepest homage to the rugged beauty of the Taihang Mountains with the resilient spirit
The essence of the Taihang Mountains lies in their raw, unspoiled grandeur. I could feel the soul of these mountains in their primitive and majestic beauty.
Wang Haixia A painter
of its people and their harmonious coexistence with the land.
During her two decades in Shanghai, Wang created numerous urban-themed works, transitioning from her early realistic watercolors to more abstract expressions and oil paints. These are displayed on the second floor of the gallery, including traditional fabric paintings, Xinjiang landscapes, scenes of the Shanghai Bund and personal abstracts.
The painting “Shanghai” is an exuberant portrayal of the city’s vibrant night scene, filled with a sense of energy and movement. The canvas is bustling with bold, neon-like colors that trace the outlines of Shanghai’s iconic skyline. Hues of red, yellow, green, and blue are sketched over a dark background, suggesting the city’s illuminated streets and buildings at night.
The style is reminiscent of expressionism, focusing on the emotional effect rather than replicating the city’s precise geometry. The vivid colors and swirling lines create a lively, almost pulsating effect, capturing the dynamism of Shanghai.
From the ruggedness of the Taihang Mountains, with their ancient vines and time-worn trees, to the sleek skyline of Shanghai, Wang’s art captures the essence of transition — from the simplicity of rural life to the complexities of urban existence.
The artist brings a delicate touch and softness to the canvas. Her works, while gentle, also reveal a tenacity. Within her watercolors, one can find the interplay of oil paints, a deliberate mingling of mediums that searches for and achieves the most beautiful harmony.
“Many friends say that when they see my paintings, it’s like seeing me,” Wang said with a smile. “Beneath my petite and quiet exterior, there lies a heart that treads an unconventional path.”