At the invitation of Marietta College, renowned contemporary Chinese painter and calligrapher Mao Xuefeng and his wife, Wang Chunling, visited Marietta College, March 30-April 6, 2013. During his visit to the Mid-Ohio Valley, Mr. Mao held a two-day "Mao Xuefeng U.S. Tour Art Exhibition."  He also gave a lecture on Chinese culture and art, and an on-site demonstration of Chinese calligraphy and painting. The events were co-sponsored by the Asian Studies Program and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the College to highlight the conclusion of the College's 19th annual international week, March 25-April 1, 2013.

　　Mao Xuefeng's "United States Tour Art Exhibition" at Marietta College brings together more than forty of Mao's recent art works. All the works exhibited are of extraordinary merit, interest, and beauty. Individually, each painting contains its own image and meaning. Collectively, the thirty- plus paintings unfold a wondrous depiction of Xinjiang, China, created by the artist.

　　As in traditional Chinese landscape paintings, the painting subjects in the works exhibited consist of mountains, peaks, and valleys; waters and forests; glacier and desert; land and sky; sunset and ascending moon; as well as travelers and cottages showing human activities. What makes Mao's landscape paintings unique is that the seemingly opposing effects evoked by the painting subjects harmoniously blend together and, subsequently, enhance the aesthetic feelings embedded in the opposite modes of expression: hard and soft, past and present, stillness and motion, light and shade, transient and timeless, vast and minute, sound and silence. Just a few examples: the echoes in the valley intensify the tranquility of the scenery. It is so quiet that you almost could hear the rising of the moon. The ringing of camel bells makes the glittering desert surreal. The light and shade reflected on the gigantic mountains and the glacier reveal nature’s minute details. On the horizon, flying geese linger over the vast open land. Human achievements, the meandering paths and cottages are integrated in the beauty of nature. While the subject matter is strikingly realistic, the impression is abstract. The aesthetics manifested in the landscape that Mr. Mao has painted are achieved through the artist's technical mastery, exquisite brushstroke, and sophisticated color.

　　The subject-matter, the layers in the framed picture, the power of nature, and the harmony between man and nature portrayed in Mao’s works are a testimony to the artist’s mastery of classical Chinese landscape painting. However, the lonely traveler, the lament for the passing of time, the melancholy and fatalism often depicted in classical Chinese paintings disappear in Mao’s creative imaginings. The motifs in traditional Chinese painting are transformed into a different type of divine realm: instead of being a mere speck in nature, the person in Mao's landscape is depicted as a cheerful traveler with his playful camel companions. While the persona’s sensitivity of the surroundings and the longing for transcendence of time and space commonly evoked in classical Chinese paintings are still evident in Mao's art works, the viewer gains visual pleasure to see Mao's person enjoying the moment, celebrating life and history, and enchanted by nature. Man in Mao’s pictorial world is free spirit, wandering through the end of the earth.

　　The light and shade, the color, the square or rectangular format, and human actions in Mao's landscape painting evidence the influence of Western painting. Conversely, the theme, motif, the subject-matter, and ink wash are clearly from Chinese tradition. Some of Mao's landscape paintings follow the "Poetry in Painting, Painting in Poetry" tradition in classical Chinese painting while others unfold no narratives and let the painting speak for itself. The artist’s unique style, the bright colors, the exquisite brushstrokes, and the format exhibited in Mao's art works encourage the viewers to look closely to appreciate fully the particular type of beauty of the Xinjiang landscape.

　　All in all, the visual encounters with the forty some art works at the exhibition exceed the viewer’s expectations.  The painting and the calligraphy reveal the uniqueness of the beauty of Chinese art. They not only generate visual pleasure in the viewer, but also evidence a profound philosophy on life, time, and the universe.

　　The five-day visit by the renowned Chinese artist bought cultural vitality and intellectual insight to the Ohio Valley. Mao's exhibition on Chinese painting and calligraphy drew faculty members, students, and community members from the region. The exhibition not only generated visual pleasure among the visiting viewers, but also served as a classroom for Art Department classes. The highlight of the artist's visit was his lecture on Chinese art and his interactive demonstration on Chinese painting and calligraphy at the exhibition sited in Great Room in Andrews Hall at Marietta College. Mao's lecture "The Blend of Traditional Chinese Landscape Painting and the Colors of Western Art" highlighted the aesthetic values of the interplay of traditional Chinese landscape painting and the "bold" colors of western painting in his heavy-color style of landscape painting, and emphasized that art transcends the borders of nations and cultures.

　　For many people who attended Mao’s demonstration and lecture, it was the first time to experience Chinese art up close. Dr. Mark Miller, Associate Provost of the College, stated "It is an honor that we are among the first viewers of Mr. Mao's recent art works. It is a life experience for our students and the community."  Angie Stevens, academic secretary at the College, was extremely impressed: "Although I do not know Chinese, Mr. Mao's calligraphy makes me feel peaceful." Alex Nourse, a double major in Asian Studies and International Business, said, "Mao Xuefeng's art gallery was absolutely breathtaking! Xuefeng drew with such precision and attention to detail, that it made the paintings come to life right before my very eyes." Another student, Alex Martin said, “As an International Leadership major, with an Asia focus, this program was extremely beneficial to me. This event was one I am glad I had the privilege of attending.”

　　Asian Studies is an essential part of the College's strategic planning of internationalization on campus with a focus on China. Mr. Mao's visit is another effort by the College to implement this strategic planning. Mao’s artwork, lecture, and live demonstration gave the students, particularly the students from Asian Studies and Art classes, an invaluable opportunity to understand and experience Chinese calligraphy and painting first hand, and helped to enrich the experiential learning for the students.

　　Mr. and Mrs. Mao were impressed by the friendliness shown by the people they met in the United States. Mr. Mao said, "Although this is our first trip to the United States, I feel Marietta is home." Mr. Mao expressed interest in further exploring faculty and student exchange opportunities with Marietta College. In the spirit of cultural exchanges between China and the United States, and as a token of his appreciation for the education his daughter, Yangyang Mao   has received at Marietta College, Mr. Mao presented his art works as gifts to the College, including two pieces of Chinese calligraphy titled: "宁静致远 (Tranquility and Transcendence)" and "望庐山瀑布 (Lu Mountain Falls)." Mao's gifts will be invaluable additions to the College's rich Asian art collection.  Before Mr. Mao bid farewell, he invited Marietta College students, faculty, and staff to visit China and his gallery in Beijing to experience Chinese culture through the eyes of Chinese artists.

From Dr.Luding Tong