Shandong Art Museum

Shandong Art Museum

Established in June 1977, it is a national public institution under the leadership of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture. Located at No. 10 Qingnian East Road, Lixia District, Jinan City, it covers an area of approximately 12,000 square meters, featuring a 2,300-square-meter exhibition building and a 2,000-square-meter office building. It has seven functional departments: the Exhibition Department, Art Creation Department, New Year Painting Research Department, Mass Art Work Department, Conservation Department, Office, and Administrative Section.

As a museum of plastic arts, the Shandong Art Museum is a non-profit social public welfare institution. It undertakes multiple functions including collecting and displaying fine artworks, meeting the aesthetic needs of the public, organizing academic research, and conducting international cultural exchanges. Under the leadership of the Party and governments at all levels, the museum adheres to the principle of "serving the people and socialism" and the guideline of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend." It has carried out extensive work in exhibitions and exchanges, collection and research, creation and services, becoming an important window for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries in the province, as well as a key platform for the construction of socialist spiritual civilization. Since its establishment, through collection, acquisition, and donations, the museum has amassed over 500 pieces of modern and contemporary art works and more than 2,000 pieces of folk art. It has hosted around 800 exhibitions and received approximately 3 million visitors. The Shandong Art Museum boasts a strong creative team responsible for creation, research, and social services. According to incomplete statistics, their artworks have been selected in 280 national and international art exhibitions and won over 60 awards; 260 pieces have been selected in overseas exhibitions with more than 20 awards. Their works have been collected by 200 domestic and international art institutions. Over 50 pieces have been gifted to foreign friends by national and provincial leaders as significant presents. Additionally, they have designed, created, and painted over a hundred large murals, reliefs, and giant calligraphy and painting works for important venues such as the Great Hall of the People, Zhongnanhai, Tiananmen Rostrum, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Chinese embassies abroad, Beijing Capital International Airport, and many key locations in the province.

Xu Kang, a renowned master of fan painting art, was born in 1961 in Jinan, with ancestral roots in Shouguang, Shandong. He graduated from East China Normal University and currently serves as a professional painter at the Shandong Art Museum. He holds the titles of National Second-Class Artist, Associate Professor, Senior Painter of the Shandong Academy of Painting, Council Member of the Hong Kong Asian Artists Association, and member of the Sino-American Artists Association. He has held solo and joint exhibitions in various countries and regions including Jinan, Beijing, Dalian, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Canada, the United States, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Australia. Multiple TV specials about him have been broadcast on stations in Shandong and the United States. His works have participated in numerous domestic and international art exhibitions and won awards. His piece “The Child’s Dream” received the highest award at the National Art Exhibition. His works have been collected by former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Australian Minister for Immigration Amanda Vanstone, and many individuals from friendly nations. He has also published personal art collections.

“Flower Light and Moon Shadow, Perfectly Paired” by Xu Kang depicts a young woman lying nude among flowers, her figure full and graceful, complementing the surrounding white peonies. The interplay of reality and illusion, movement and stillness, leaves endless room for imagination, achieving a perfect fusion of traditional Chinese ink art and Western nude art. “From 0 to the Human World” by Xu Kang utilizes the fan-shaped canvas, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, placing blooming peonies in the center with buds on both sides. The composition is sparse at the top and dense at the bottom, and loose on the left and tight on the right, creating a well-balanced layout that highlights the nobility and elegance of the peonies, presenting a harmonious scene where red flowers and green leaves complement each other.

Admission Fee

5 RMB

Opening Hours

Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00–17:00; Closed on Mondays

Open as usual during national statutory holidays

Location

No. 10 Qingnian East Road, Lixia District, Jinan City, Shandong Province