Preface from Qi Liang-chi

I am over 80 years old and am so happy to be able to live in an era of peace and prosperity in which I am pl eased to see booming situation in Chinese paintings with able and talented painters coming forth in succession. And Aisin-Gioro Hengyi is one of the most outstanding among such paintings.

The friendship between Hengyi’s family and mine spans over many generations. Her Granduncle Pu Ru was my teacher and her other granduncle Pu Jie was my personal friend. I have also known Hengyi for decades. Hengyi cherishes a deep love for Chinese painting since her childhood, a love she never gave up even when she was sent to the countryside for re-education by the farmers during the Cultural Revolution and lived a life of extreme difficulties and hardship. After the Cultural Revolution, she resumed her career of painting. At that time, entrusted by her granduncle Pu Jie,I also gave her some advice. She has given me a deep impression with her talent and diligence. Ten years later, her painting became more and more mature and her name became more and more well known in the field. I have seen a couplet written by the calligrapher Mr.Wang Xia-ju in her living room saying:“The Ocean is the place where the dragon rises, and the high summit is where the phoenix sings.”I was sure that heaven is bound to reward those who a diligent, and Hengyi was sure to rise from the ocean and sing on the summit. Another ten years later, Hengyi made more good achievements. Her name appears more frequently in the media, and I have heard that she has successfully held personal exhibitions in many countries and districts of the world including Japan, Korea, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macao. She even won Grand Prizes at exhibitions both in china and on international level.

Hengyi’s landscape paintings are grand and magnificent. Her brushwork and use of ink has the ease of a master painter. Her birds and flowers are done in a fluent and lucid style, genteelly colorful. All forms of lively images come from under her brush, and when I look at her paintings, I could not help showing my admiration for the emerging generation. I am so happy and comforted that the new generation has made such achievements. When I think of my late good friends Mr. Pu Jie and Mr.Hu Shuang-an, I feel sad, but I think they will break into happy smiles when they know such achievements of the new generation.

Qi Liang-chi; Fourth son of Qi Pei-shih

Preface from Hu Jie-qing

Hengyi has really grasped the essence of the courtly tradition in Chinese painting in her use of the brushwork and the ink. In her artistic practice, she combined the traditional brushwork with modern technique and formed her own style. She lays much emphasis on the rules of the use of the brush and the ink. Which she regards as the key to Chinese painting as Chinese painting and the basis for the development and renovation of Chinese painting. Without full recognition and utilization of the special features of the brush and the ink, Chinese painting will no longer be Chinese, as it no longer has the feature of “lucid brushwork and fluent use of ink.” In her exploration for the new path in Chinese paintings, she was very careful in her treatment of the brush and the ink with the brushwork and every shade of the ink carefully contemplated. Inspired by nature, her paintings are vivid and lively in layout and composition and elegant in the use of color.

Hu Jie-qing, President
Changbai Institute of Chinese Calligraphy and Paintings

Preface from Wu Xiu

The saying goes ：“The style is the man.”Hengyi’s paintings are graceful with the touch of vigor, magnammous yet vivid plain but reposeful. Her paintings are beautiful but not superficial, simple but not dull, rich but not with nitty-gritty details, delicate but not weak. She often uses vivid ink to portray the leaves to set dramatic contrast against the flowers done in elegant lines. Her use of colors in light but graceful. Her birds are all full of life and wit.

Wu Xiu, Former President
Beijing Chinese Paintings Academy