An Exhibition of Sculptural Arts by Liu Huanzhang was inaugurated in the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC). Listed as a part of the National Arts Collection and Donation Reward Program, jointly established by Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Finance, the exhibition put on display nearly 200 pieces of sculpture, seal cutting and print button works that Liu, a famous sculptor, created over the years. They were vivid interpretation of the artistic life of the sculpture master.

Liu was born in 1930 in Leting of north China’s Hebei province. In his early youth, he studied seal cutting art from Jin Yumin, a famous Imperial Palace carver. In 1956, he was graduated from department of sculpture in the Central Academy of Fine Arts as a graduate student. He stayed on to engage on professional artistic creation in the sculpture workshop of the academy. As Qian Shaowu put it, Liu’s style was of “natural, summarized in form, combining the virtual and the real, and harmonizing the static and the dynamic”, which inherited the "freehand" tradition to pursue the feeling between “the like and the unlike", because of his Chinese style of experience. Liu participated in large sculpture creation for Beijing Exhibition Hall, Museum of Chinese History, Chinese Military Museum, Workers’ Stadium, and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.

Lifetime Achievement Award。

From 1981 to 2000, Liu held three exhibitions in NAMOC. Sixteen works of his, including Girl, Untitled and Wrestler, were collected by NAMOC. In 2004, Liu was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award for Plastic Arts by Ministry of Culture.

The NAMOC old collections of Liu were mainly works of his early years on the modeling of figures and animals. The present donation will further expand the categories of NAMOC collection of Liu’s works. They will include the eternal theme of Liu in a considerable long period – woman body of broad shoulder and round waist, plump buttocks, thick legs and solid belly, looking steady and profound. They also contain works of various innovative styles, showing the spirit of the time.

categories, the donated works are largely sculptures of bold woman body of unique features and forthright and sincere figures. The figure sculptures include graceful, tall Little Dancer, Tiger Girl of vivid countenance, Koroma of rich African customs, and Painter Zhu Naizheng and Jurist Rui Mu for souvenir. The woman body sculptures cover Clear Spring, Intoxication and Fat Girl of plump figures. Works of other subjects include natural, interesting Call of the Primitive and Satisfaction. In terms of textures, the works are made of wood and stone that Liu is skilled in, as well as common pottery and copper. As a result, the donated works could fully reflect the artistic attainments of Liu.

These sculptures will be exhibited along with NAMOC old collections of Liu. They will build NAMOC collections of Liu into a complete, classic art sequence, in terms of art category, quantity and standard, for later generations to study and for permanent appreciation.