Immersed in Canton Dew Han Tanheng's Art Endeavor
Exhibition Halls 15, 16, and 17, 4th Floor, Guangdong Museum of Art (New Venue)
2026-03-27——
2026-06-28
Exhibition Period: March 27 - June 28, 2026
Venue: Exhibition Halls 15, 16, and 17, 4th Floor, Guangdong Museum of Art (New Venue)
(Address: No. 19 Bai'etan South Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou)
Host: Publicity Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province
Organizer: Guangdong Museum of Art, Shanghai Han Tianheng Art Museum
Co-organizer: Shanghai Han Tianheng Cultural and Art Foundation
Curator: Wang Shaoqiang
Art Director: Han Huizhi
Introduction
In the century-long scroll of Chinese art history, the Shanghai School and the Lingnan School of Painting stand like twin peaks, serving as indispensable coordinates. Though rooted in Shanghai and Guangdong respectively with distinct regional styles, both have followed the artistic lineage of "seeking innovation and change, embracing inclusiveness" since their inception, engaging in a profound dialogue across time and space. This cross-regional artistic origin and symbiotic fusion not only wrote a significant chapter in the transformation of modern Chinese art but also constructed a century-old cultural bond between Shanghai and Guangdong, becoming a core force in promoting the modernization of traditional Chinese art.
As a leader of contemporary Shanghai School art, Mr. Han Tianheng began practicing calligraphy at the age of four and seal carving at six. His artistic journey has spanned over eighty years, yet he still refers to himself today as an "old student." His painting, calligraphy, and seal carving each reach individual peaks while remaining interconnected. In painting, unlike many seal carvers and calligraphers who only create simple sketches "incorporating calligraphy into painting," Mr. Han's subjects cover both ink wash and heavy color (Zhongcai). His compositions draw from the rhythmic spacing of seal carving; his lines utilize the rounded and robust brushwork of calligraphy; his artistic interest inherits the classical essence of the Tang and Song dynasties; and his use of color integrates the intense, full-bodied tones of Western palettes. The "Han Bird" imagery he created is described by him as having "three years of schooling," possessing both scholarly elegance and vitality.
Having cultivated the fields of calligraphy, painting, and seal carving for eighty years, Mr. Han has not only inherited the essence of the Shanghai School and broken traditional boundaries in his creations but has also achieved prolific results in art theory research. He is a key inheritor and innovator of contemporary Shanghai School art. This artistic journey to Lingnan aims to comprehensively showcase the inheritance and development of Shanghai School art in the new era, allowing the Lingnan audience to appreciate the majesty and agility of Shanghai brushwork. Furthermore, it seeks to absorb the fresh nutrients of Lingnan art and engage in deep exchange with the local art community. This exhibition is not only a concentrated presentation of artistic achievements but also a new cultural bridge between Shanghai and Guangdong, ensuring that the century-long artistic friendship between the Shanghai and Lingnan schools continues to write a more brilliant chapter in the new era.
Selected Works
Regular Script: Excerpt from "Stele of Master Daoyin" by Ouyang Tong
Ink on paper
45cm × 35cm
1963
A Poem by Marshal Chen Yi on Guangzhou Flower Market
Ink on paper
233cm × 53cm
2026
Climbing Mountains for Self-reflection
6.8cm × 2.9cm × 3.2cm
Ya'an Green Stone
2022
Yishao (Wang Xizhi)
2cm × 3.2cm × 9cm
Shoushan Furong Stone
2026
Piercing the Clouds
Ink on paper
44.5cm × 67cm
1990
Autumn Scenery Resisting the Frost
Ink on paper
96cm × 53.5cm
1994
Harmony and Beauty
Ink on paper
70cm × 140cm
2022
About Artist
韩天衡Han Tianheng
Born in Shanghai in 1940, with ancestral roots in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, also known by his pseudonym Doulu. He specializes in calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, seal carving, art theory, and the appraisal of calligraphy, painting, and seals.
He currently serves as the Honorary Dean of the Chinese Academy of Seal Arts, Honorary President of Xiling Seal Art Society, Consultant (former Vice President) of Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, National First-Class Artist, expert enjoying special allowances from the State Council, President of the Shanghai Wu Changshuo Art Research Association, Director of the Wu Changshuo Memorial Hall, Professor at the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Specially Appointed Professor at the School of Philosophy, Fudan University. He was selected as one of the "Top Ten Figures of the Year in Chinese Calligraphy" in 2009 and recognized by Hong Kong's "Shu Pu" magazine as the "Most Respected Seal Carver" and the "Most Outstanding Seal Carver of the Last Thirty-five Years." He received the Art Award of the 5th Lanting Award for Chinese Calligraphy. In 2016, he was named a representative inheritor of the Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage "Haishang Calligraphy," and earned the title of "Outstanding Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor for 2022–2024." In 2019, he won the Outstanding Contribution Award of the "Shanghai Literature and Art Awards" and the title of "Outstanding Veteran Calligrapher" on the Chinese Calligraphy Chart. In 2023, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Xiling Seal Art Society. In 2024, he received the title of "First Shanghai Outstanding Talent" and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. In 2025, he was honored with the "Lifetime Achievement Award of the Shanghai Culture and Art Awards."
He has published over 150 works, including "Chronology of Chinese Seal Arts," "Selected Seal Carvings by Han Tianheng," "Selected Essays on Seal Arts through the Dynasties," "Collected Works of Han Tianheng's Calligraphy and Painting," and served as the editor-in-chief of the "Dictionary of Chinese Seal Carving."
He currently serves as the Honorary Dean of the Chinese Academy of Seal Arts, Honorary President of Xiling Seal Art Society, Consultant (former Vice President) of Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, National First-Class Artist, expert enjoying special allowances from the State Council, President of the Shanghai Wu Changshuo Art Research Association, Director of the Wu Changshuo Memorial Hall, Professor at the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Specially Appointed Professor at the School of Philosophy, Fudan University. He was selected as one of the "Top Ten Figures of the Year in Chinese Calligraphy" in 2009 and recognized by Hong Kong's "Shu Pu" magazine as the "Most Respected Seal Carver" and the "Most Outstanding Seal Carver of the Last Thirty-five Years." He received the Art Award of the 5th Lanting Award for Chinese Calligraphy. In 2016, he was named a representative inheritor of the Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage "Haishang Calligraphy," and earned the title of "Outstanding Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor for 2022–2024." In 2019, he won the Outstanding Contribution Award of the "Shanghai Literature and Art Awards" and the title of "Outstanding Veteran Calligrapher" on the Chinese Calligraphy Chart. In 2023, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Xiling Seal Art Society. In 2024, he received the title of "First Shanghai Outstanding Talent" and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. In 2025, he was honored with the "Lifetime Achievement Award of the Shanghai Culture and Art Awards."
He has published over 150 works, including "Chronology of Chinese Seal Arts," "Selected Seal Carvings by Han Tianheng," "Selected Essays on Seal Arts through the Dynasties," "Collected Works of Han Tianheng's Calligraphy and Painting," and served as the editor-in-chief of the "Dictionary of Chinese Seal Carving."
Approved by / Tu Xiaopang
Proofread by / Zeng Ruijie
Data Provided by / Lu Lu, Zhu Ying
Edited by / Liu Danni
Opening hours: every Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17: 00 (admission is closed at 16: 30 and clearance is started at 16:45).
Closed on Mondays (except legal holidays and special circumstances).
Baietan Area: No. 19, Baietan South Road, Liwan District,Guangzhou P.C. 510170 | Front Desk Phone：020-88902999，020-88902888
Ersha Island: No. 38 Yanyu Road, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou P.C. 510105 | Front Desk Phone：020-87351468
Closed on Mondays (except legal holidays and special circumstances).
Baietan Area: No. 19, Baietan South Road, Liwan District,Guangzhou P.C. 510170 | Front Desk Phone：020-88902999，020-88902888
Ersha Island: No. 38 Yanyu Road, Ersha Island, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou P.C. 510105 | Front Desk Phone：020-87351468