Shi Chan was born into a family of Xianghuang, a branch of ethnic Manchu in
Beijing, in 1938. In 1956, Shi began studying Chinese painting under masters
Wang Zhujiu and Li Kuchan. Shi, in 1984, began studying under another two
masters - Cui Zifan and Zhu Qizhan-of Chinese painting. Shi received much
help and guidance from these masters, which helped him progress as a traditional
Chinese painter.
Shi now is an accomplished painter. He is good at painting grapes, lotuses,
birthday peaches, peonies, narcissuses, snow lilies and eagles. As a result,
he has been given the nickname “Grape Shi.” His paintings generally begin
with bold, resolute brush strokes and end with tiny, fine finishing touches.
His strong, personal emotions can be felt through his creations. Shi’s paintings
feature the color sense of French impressionists, and the creative concepts
of China’s master painters. His works always reveal his enthusiasm for life,
and they remind people they need passion and a sense of vitality. By painting
with bold, resolute brush strokes, Shi transfers his strong feelings into
the flowers, objects and scenes - which bring his creations to life. Withered
leaves or falling petals cannot be found in Shi’s works, and people looking
at or studying his creations will never feel passive. Instead, his paintings
bring brightness and beauty to life.
In recent years, Shi’s works, especially those deemed to be his best, have
been collected by the rich and famous - at home and abroad. In 2001, Shi’s
elaborate grape paintings were exhibited during the 11th Grape Festival in
Turban, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The city, which attracts
tourists from around the world, is renowned for its grapes, which has helped
the city boost global exchanges of culture and arts. To help advance the art
form, many of China’s distinguished artists honored Shi. His teacher Cui Zifan
painted “Water Flows into the Pond of Painting from Season to Season, Flowers
in Blossom Smile to Every Comer from Garden of Art” for Shi. Zhu Qizhan, meanwhile,
wrote four characters “Being Bold and Resolute”to describe the style of
Shi. And Wang Luobin, western China’s king of folk music, wrote
the song “Your Grapes are like a Bottle of Wine, My Heart is being Intoxicated”
for Shi.
