The Zhao Zhiqian Art Exhibition opens at the Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Dec 5, 2023. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

An exhibition on Zhao Zhiqian kicked off at the Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Dec 5.

The special exhibition on Zhao Zhiqian, entitled "Zhao Zhiqian Art Exhibition", "is the largest special exhibition with the most categories and exhibits since Zhao Zhiqian's death", said Dai Jiamiao, a professor at the China Academy of Art and an academic host of the exhibition.

Zhao Zhiqian (1829-1884), born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, was an outstanding calligrapher, painter, seal engraver and scholar in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Zhao suffered many setbacks and difficulties during his life, but he nevertheless created a magnificent artistic world, making great achievements in poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal cutting.

The exhibition is a part of the "Chinese Traditional Classics Series" of the Zhejiang Art Museum, and Zhao Zhiqian is the first artist from Zhejiang to be included in the series.

The calligraphy works of Zhao Zhiqian are displayed in the calligraphy exhibition hall. [Photo/Tide News]

The exhibition features calligraphy, paintings, seal cuttings and literature, including nearly 300 works borrowed from 18 museums, art museums and other institutions in China. Among them are seven national first-grade cultural relics.

There are also three interactive experience areas. In the painting exhibition hall, the oddly-shaped fish in Zhao Zhiqian's work "comes to life" through technology. Seal cutting works are displayed through lanterns and projection. A stump and annual rings are used to present Zhao Zhiqian’s life.

Seal cutting works of Zhao Zhiqian are displayed through lanterns and projection in the seal cutting exhibition hall. [Photo/Tide News]

In the interactive experience areas, the audience can immerse themselves in the beauty of Zhao Zhiqian's works, enjoying a rich cultural feast.

The exhibition will run until Mar 3, 2024.