The exhibition "The Most Beautiful is Hangzhou" 2026, featuring works of painting, calligraphy, and seal carving, opens at the Xiling Seal Society Art Museum on September 29th. This exhibition is jointly hosted by the Hangzhou Federation of Literature and Art, the Xiling Seal Society Executive Committee, the Hangzhou Academy of Painting (Hangzhou Academy of Painting), the Hangzhou Artists Association, the Hangzhou Calligraphers Association, and the Hangzhou Arts Volunteers Association, with the Xiling Seal Society Art Museum co-hosting.
The exhibition, themed "The Most Beautiful is Hangzhou," showcases over 300 works across the fields of fine arts, calligraphy, and seal carving. The creators use brush and ink as their medium and stone and chisel as their tools to vividly portray the natural beauty of Hangzhou's landscapes and waters, its historical and cultural beauty, and the beauty of contemporary development.
Wang Dongling, Honorary Chairman of the Hangzhou Federation of Literature and Art and professor at the China Academy of Fine Arts and calligrapher, stated that painting, calligraphy, and seal carving are the cultural genes of Hangzhou, inspiring artists to be rooted in the people and in life. Du Gaojie, Professor at Zhejiang University and painter, shared from an artistic perspective on the integration of art and urban scenery, expressing his original aspiration to create works that praise Hangzhou. Lin Er, a seal carving artist representing the Xiling Seal Society, suggested that the inheritance of cultural heritage requires drawing inspiration from the past to innovate and keep pace with the times, allowing ancient seal carving art to resonate with contemporary life and be reborn.
Behind every work lies the artist's deep affection for this city. Zhang Aiguo, Vice Chairman of the Hangzhou Federation of Literature and Art and Chairman of the Hangzhou Calligraphers Association, chose Pan Lang's "Longyi Qian Tang" from the Song Dynasty as the subject of his calligraphy. "Whether it is Song dynasty culture or the cultural heritage of West Lake, it has been inherited and accumulated by generations. This continuity of cultural heritage is profound and vibrant," Zhang Aiguo said.
Miao Hongbo, Vice Chairman of the Zhejiang Artists Association and Vice Dean of the Hangzhou Academy of Painting (Hangzhou Academy of Painting), focused his brush on the familiar scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou. He said, "'The Most Beautiful is Hangzhou' is a brand event of the Federation of Literature and Art that has driven the creation of a number of distinct works. We hope the event receives more attention and inspires more people who love Hangzhou to participate."
Wang Wenbin's work, "Mutual Learning of Civilizations, Beauty Together," captures the moment guests pause to admire the Liangzhu jade artifacts, and he said, "I want to use their expressions while looking at the jade artifacts to interpret the core of the Liangzhu Forum's 'Mutual Learning of Civilizations, Beauty Together' and explore new paths for painting expression in the new era of international communication."
The exhibition is free to the public and will run until October 18th.