880
QUAN SHANSHI ( b.1930 - )
Members only
oil on canvas framed 1980
signed
inscribed with "Presented to Ms. Eiko Tanaka, 1980" on the reverse
artwork seal on the reverse :Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition
Provenance: Private Collection, Kanto Region
This work is a still life painting by Quan Shanshi, composed around motifs of fruit and a water pitcher. Grapes, melons, apples, and other fruit are rendered with thick brushstrokes and rich color, creating a vivid sense of volume and texture. The play of reflected light and subtle shadows further accentuates the physical presence of each object. A striped cloth is laid in the background, adding both depth and a quiet, poetic atmosphere to the composition.
In the 1980s, Quan Shanshi traveled extensively through China's western regions, such as Xinjiang and Tibet, where he studied and portrayed ethnic minorities in traditional dress as well as majestic natural landscapes. The teapot and cloth depicted in this work also derive from the traditional utensils and textiles of these regions, evoking a sense of their cultural presence.
Beyond mere realism, the painting conveys emotional resonance and spiritual depth through the layering of light and color. Through the still life motif, it reflects the artist's gaze toward the "life residing in objects" and the cultural narratives that lie behind them.
On the back of the painting is an inscription reading, "Presented to Ms. Tanaka Eiko, 1980." Tanaka Eiko was a researcher in the field of clothing and fashion. She was invited to give lectures at the university where Quan Shanshi's niece taught costume design. On that occasion, the niece asked her uncle to create a work as a gesture of gratitude, and this painting was subsequently gifted to Tanaka.
QUAN SHANSHI is a Chinese painter from Yixing, Jiangsu Province. He graduated from the East China Branch of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and studied at the Repin Academy of Arts in Leningrad, USSR. After returning to China, he became a professor at the China Academy of Art. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the China Oil Painting Society and Deputy Director of the Oil Painting Art Committee of the China Artists Association. His oil paintings, often depicting the landscapes and culture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, have received high acclaim.
58.2×72.0cm
(22 ⅞ × 28 ⅜ in.)(F20)
2025/10/23
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