As the 100th birthday of Yan Han approached, A Fighter Forever-in Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of Yan Han’s Birth was ceremoniously held in the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC). The exhibition was jointly sponsored by NAMOC, Central Academy of Fine Arts and Chinese Artists Association, and co-organized by Lianyungang Yan Han Gallery and Jiangsu Donghai Yan Han Memorial Hall. As a part of the NAMOC Donation and Collection Series Exhibitions, and the series of exhibitions celebrating the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the current show was held to reflect the high respect of the Party and government and the art circles and cultural circles towards Yan Han, and cherish the memory of his artistic life. The exhibition followed the thread of time to mirror his creation and exploration in various stages, and incarnated his colorful artistic career. The 300-odd pieces of works, supported with historical materials, presented an overview of the artistic life of Yan Han, and manifested the older-generation artist’s concern over art and the times.

NAMOC curator Wu Weishan said that “Yan Han, a fighter forever, walked through the smoke of gunpowder, and vicissitudes of history. He has all along fought for the truth, and eventually achieved eternity of artistic life. He has hence turned into an artist for us to always remember.” The exhibition comprised four parts, themed as “Fighter Forever”, “Tell the Story of Yan Han”, “Condensation of the Times” and “Beauty of Passions”, to reveal artistic creation in Yan Han’s lifetime.

The first part “Fighter Forever” started with classical works of Yan Han created during the revolutionary war period. They were followed with representative works of Yan Han in various stages, to fully portray the art course of Yan Han as a fighter.

The second part “Tell the Story of Yan Han” unfolded the vicissitudes in the life of Yan Han with lively language and words, and plenty of historical photographs and material objects, for audiences to better understand the artistic road of Yan Han.

In the third part “Condensation of the Times”, the first unit “The Age of Flames of War” once again displayed the artistic creations of Yan Han during the revolutionary wars. The second unit “Years Filled with Enthusiasm” showed works mainly produced between the 1950s and the 1980s.

Yan Han’s family donated the 108 pieces of his works to NAMOC for permanent collection as national art treasury. The donation of Yan Han’s works fully reflected his family’s high awareness and selfless dedication to the fine arts undertaking of the country. It was also the will of Yan Han to promote the development of Chinese fine arts all his life. The donated works were mainly created by Yan Han in his later period in new forms. They have greatly enriched the collections of the state, and constituted a complete sequence in artistic creation with the existing collections. They will be remembered in the art history and museum exhibition with their outstanding historical value, academic value and art value.

The fourth part “Beauty of Passions” consisted of two units “Ride the Wind and Waves” and “Surges in Spring” to exhibit the miraculous works Yan Han in new forms after reform and opening up.