In his article penned in 1934, painter Feng Zikai (1898-1975) recalled his childhood enlightenment (启蒙) as he learned about painting. When he studied Chinese poetry and the Three Character Classic, 13th-century text for children on Confucian philosophy, he found (he), instead of being attracted by the text, seized by the illustrations. These images (attract) him so much that he began coloring them (use) pigment (颜料) from his family's dyehouse.
"The children new school enjoy coloring illustrations in textbooks," says Li Hongbo, an art professor at Jilin Normal University. "They may have limited understanding of colors, they often take pride in their' creations' and find (end) pleasure from such activities."
Feng's story is shown in the ongoing Mirror to the Future: Chinese Basic Art Education Literature Exhibition, highlights the development of the country's fundamental fine arts education since 1904, at The First Historical Archives (档案) of China in Beijing.
(organize) by the archives and Beijing Normal University, the exhibition follows the 120-year history of the development of basic fine arts education in China, through 1,359items, including files, textbooks and teaching aids.
This exhibition shows the rich value of fine arts education in enhancing the ability (appreciate) beauty, nurture the soul, and stimulate innovative vitality. It also enables the rich archival resources containing historical, cultural and aesthetic value to integrate into the field of education, giving full play to their roles of preserving history and educating people.
