Recently, the "Golf Scenery: Zhang Shaoxia's Oil Painting Exhibition" was held at the Art Museum of Nanjing Academy of Arts. The exhibition was produced by Li Xiaoshan, hosted by Liu Weidong, and curated by Lin Shuchuan. The exhibition not only showcases Zhang Shaoxia's representative works and various manuscripts in the 1980s, but also showcases over 40 golf landscape paintings recorded by Zhang Shaoxia as a "golfer" around the world in recent years. On the one hand, the exhibition presents us with the rigorous and hardworking academic process of the older generation of art historians, which inspires and inspires the younger generation of scholars. On the other hand, it also showcases Zhang Shaoxia's personal choices under the changing times. Projected in his works, a handsome, free spirited, bold yet calm and indifferent temperament fills the entire exhibition.  

In 1979, Zhang Shaoxia, as one of the first graduate students in the field of art history in China, enrolled in the Department of Fine Arts at Nanjing Academy of Arts. He studied under Mr. Liu Ruli, a renowned foreign art historian. During his graduate studies, he had already published several works, such as "Outline of European Arts and Crafts History", "Asian Arts and Crafts History", "African and American Arts and Crafts", and "History of Western Art Development". In the words of Chen Xiaoxin, then a teacher at Nanjing Academy of Arts, Zhang Shaoxia was like a "writing machine", and his most prominent feature was "diligence". The densely packed manuscripts and abstract cards in the exhibition to some extent suggest Zhang Shaoxia's future achievements and choices. 

 In 1982, Zhang Shaoxia stayed at school to teach. In 1985, Zhang Shaoxia and Li Xiaoshan, who was currently pursuing a master's degree at Nanjing Academy of Arts, wrote "A History of Modern Chinese Painting". In the preface of this work, which cannot be avoided in the study of the history of modern Chinese painting, Zhang Shaoxia and Li Xiaoshan write: "Although continuation painters have been recognized as undeniable monuments in the history of modern painting, they have not had a profound impact and lack greater significance. In this regard, pioneering painters can undoubtedly serve as pioneers of the times, representing hope and brightness for the future." Undoubtedly, Zhang Shaoxia will stand on the side of the latter, believing that they bear a greater mission and have stronger contemporaneity. And Zhang Shaoxia's journey of artistic exploration so far has precisely proven his foresight and pioneering spirit. 

 Many older generations of Southern artists will mention Zhang Shaoxia when recalling the transformation period of the discipline construction of Nanjing Academy of Arts. "In 1985, the Ministry of Education began the application work for the second batch of art doctoral programs. At that time, this work was both unfamiliar and challenging for many schools, and the opinions of the school leadership seemed to be not completely unified. However, with his extraordinary academic foresight, Zhang Shaoxia firmly believed that the school must participate in the application. He even went to work at Mr. Liu Ruli's house, which was still in doubt, hoping that Mr. Liu could take the lead and use his academic influence throughout the country to strive for the success of the school's application. Zhang Shaoxia also assigned me to rush to Shanghai overnight and bring Mr. Liu Ruli to Shanghai Fine Arts Publishing House." Retrieve the sample book of "Ancient Egyptian Art" that is currently being published as supporting materials for application. In the end, our goal at Nanyi was achieved, and this crucial step saved many detours in the discipline construction of Nanyi. Now, after more than a hundred years of development, Nanjing Academy of Arts has become a leader in the discipline construction of art colleges in China, ranking first in the field. Zhang Shaoxia's promotion and construction are indispensable. Later, when I was introducing the experience of the construction of the Southern Art discipline to my colleagues at my sister universities, I once said, 'We just wake up a little earlier than others.'. In fact, the person who woke up the earliest here should be Zhang Xia Zhang, at least he is one of them. 

 In 1987, Zhang Shaoxia bid farewell to Nanjing Academy of Arts. The following year, at the age of 35, he went to Hainan to serve as the first dean of the School of Art at Hainan University. Three years later, he resigned from his job and went into business, embarking on another path. Leaving the campus and swimming in the sea of commerce, Zhang Shaoxia never forgot the instructions of his mentor Liu Ruli and Zhang Daoyi. In 1997, Zhang Shaoxia published the "World Painting Collection Series", consisting of 20 volumes, 3000 images, and hundreds of thousands of words. It was listed as a key book of the national "Ninth Five Year Plan" period and won the only gold award for art books in the publishing system.  

In 2018, Zhang Shaoxia picked up his paintbrush and devoted himself to depicting golf courses around the world. Over the years, he has created over 500 works. His friends who are familiar with him are not surprised by this. Li Xiaoshan, the art director of the Art Museum of Nanjing Academy of Arts, once said, "When he wrote a book in his early years, I had already seen how diligent he was, working day and night, and fighting continuously. According to his own words, to do something, one should have the appearance of doing it, or not do it, and to do it, one must invest 100%." 

 Zhang Shaoxia belongs to a painter with a single theme. To what extent is it singular? He only painted golf courses that he had personally visited and soaked in countless sweat for decades. That is the place he is most familiar with and also a place he loves very much. He depicted golf courses around the world in dozens or hundreds of paintings, and his emotions were high and he enjoyed it tirelessly. In the view of Huang Zongxian, a specially appointed professor at Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, Zhang Shaoxia's focus on golf course painting is: "This is Zhang Shaoxia's construction of a personal field that can unleash life's imagination and passion, and the hollow and uninhabited golf course in the picture is like the tranquility before a storm, giving us a broader space for imagination and stronger inclusiveness. This seems to be also a projection of Zhang Shaoxia's emotional and life experiences stored on the golf course. Art is important, and life is more important than art. Zhang Shaoxia's reciprocating cycle between this shore and the other shore interprets his continuous pursuit of artistic life."  

Zhang Shaoxia focuses on painting golf courses, just as Morandi stares at bottles and jars. The subject matter guides the concept, and the concept confirms the painter's accuracy in choosing the subject matter. Professor Hang Jian from the China Academy of Fine Arts said, "Modern painting, especially contemporary painting, is getting further and further away from ordinary people. Of course, this cannot be said wrong, but there must be someone to return to the essence of art and entertainment for the masses. Zhang Shaoxia's oil paintings, which are relaxed, natural, and exposed soil and vegetation, all reflect his love and convey a" beauty "that everyone can generally appreciate. I think this is very meaningful in the present. Art does not need to become an endorser of philosophy, as long as it conveys beauty and passion."  

Facing the golf course, Zhang Shaoxia dreams of "playing all the courses I want to play but haven't played before, painting all the courses I want to paint but haven't painted before. And the final picture is the colorful and colorful golf course in my dream, not just the green golf course."

 It is reported that the exhibition will continue until November 27th.