Hua Junwu (1915, 04, 24~2010, 06, 13) is Chinese famous cartoonist. In middle school, he started to publish cartoon works. After the Anti-Japanese War erupted, he engaged in the anti-enemy propaganda and later he went to Yan’an. At first he was in Shanbei Public School, and then he served as a researcher in Lu Xun Institute of Literatures and Arts. During that period, he drew cartoons of current events for Liberation Daily, published Exhibition of Satirical Drawings with Cai Ruohong and others and was received by Chairman Mao Zedong. In 1979, Hua Junwu was elected vice-president of Chinese Artists Association; successively served as the headman of the art department of People’s Daily and art consultant of People’s Literature; furthermore, he was once elected deputy to the National People’s Congress and member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Congress. For decades, he had published more than 700 cartoons in major newspapers and periodicals, wrote the book How do I Think and Draw Cartoons, published over 20 kinds of cartoon collections and had widespread social impact.
His cartoons which closely link pulse of the times are constructed wittily and skillfully and full of humor. In early years, Hua was and good at drawing cartoons of political current events, therefore, as a man full of militancy, he played a very important role in propaganda and agitation in the revolutionary war. In later period his works were mainly satirical drawings which bitterly satirized all sorts of ugly, backward phenomenon in the society and were widely paid close attention to and loved by people.
The drawing style of his cartoons is concise as well as rich in national characteristics with bright Chinese style.
In 2006, 90-year-old Mr. Hua Junwu donated all the 2000 original cartoon works of “Cartoons in All His Life” to National Art Museum of China. In memory of Mr. Hua Junwu, we have selected the two series of Difficult Diseases and “Cartoon Pigsy” from the plentiful works he has donated to exhibit. Thereby we deeply cherish the memory of the Mr. Hua Junwu.
