Library News — Deng Fen Art Foundation donates precious calligraphy and painting works to the University of Macau
圖書館消息 -- 鄧芬藝術基金會向澳門大學捐贈珍貴書畫作品
In the afternoon of 20 September 2024, the University of Macau Library held a donation ceremony of Deng Fen’s works on the closing day of the “Cultural Heritage: Deng Fen Documents Exhibition”. Mr Kwai Lau of the Deng Fen Art Foundation, also a descendant of Deng Fen, donated seven original works of Deng Fen’s paintings and calligraphy, as well as his electronic archive of research on Deng Fen’s works to the University of Macau.
Donor Mr Kwai Lau said that the University of Macau Museum of Art has the functions of collecting and exhibiting art works, as well as teaching and conducting exchanges. It not only served the talent cultivation and discipline development of the university, but also provided a platform for the display and exchange of artistic creations for teachers, students and Macao citizens, which was respectable. He hoped that this donation would be able to contribute to the talent cultivation of the University of Macau. Wu Jianzhong, Librarian of the University of Macau, said that this donation not only enriched the collection of the UM Museum of Art, but also allows teachers, students and citizens to further understand and appreciate Lingnan traditional art and culture. He also thanked the Deng Fen Art Foundation and Mr Kwai Lau for their generous donation, and looked forward to have more cooperation and exchanges in the future to promote the inheritance and development of Chinese traditional culture and art.
Deng Fen (1894-1964) was born in Nanhai, Guangdong. Known as one of the important figures in the painting circles of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the 20th century, Deng Fen excelled not only in painting and calligraphy, but also in poetry, seal carving, scriptwriting and playwriting, making him a true polymath.
As early as 1923, he co-founded the Guihai Painting Cooperative (癸亥合作社) with fourteen traditional Chinese painters. Later, the cooperative reorganized to be the Guangdong Painting Society (廣東國畫研究會) to inherit and develop the theories and techniques of traditional Chinese painting. During the Anti-Japanese war, he resided in Macao and frequently traveled between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. After the victory of the War, he returned to Macao and lived twice in Macao at Chi-hsien Club of Travessa do Auto Novo (清平直街寄閒俱樂部), Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida (荷蘭園大馬路) and Travessa dos Anjos (天神巷). He was one of the painting teachers at Chü ming hsüan (居明軒), an important place to teach paintings in Macao at that time, and had a very close relationship with the local art and cultural circles. He inherited the traditions of Chinese painting while also creating a new style. Chinese literati painting master Huang Binhong (黄賓虹) praised him as the best painter in Nanhai. Chang dai-chien (張大千), a world-renowned painting master, regarded him as the only modern painter in Lingnan.
This year coincides with the 130th anniversary of the birth of Deng Fen. From the 9 to 20 of this month, the University of East Asia Open College Students’ Association and the University of Macau Library co-organized the “Cultural Heritage: Deng Fen Documents Exhibition”, with support from the UM Alumni and Development Office and the Deng Fen Art Foundation.
2024年9月20日下午，澳門大學圖書館在《文化傳承——鄧芬文獻資料展》閉幕日舉行鄧芬作品捐贈儀式。鄧芬後人、鄧芬藝術基金會劉季先生向澳門大學捐贈七件鄧芬繪畫、書法原作，以及劉季先生的鄧芬作品研究電子檔案。
捐贈人劉季先生表示，澳門大學藝術博物館具有收藏、展覽、教學和交流的功能，既服務於大學的人才培養和學科發展，也為在校師生和澳門市民提供藝術創作展示與交流的平台，令人敬佩。他希望這次捐贈能為澳門大學的人才培養略盡綿力。澳門大學圖書館館長吳建中表示，此次捐贈不僅豐富了澳大藝術博物館的館藏，也讓師生和市民得以進一步深入了解和欣賞嶺南傳統藝術和文化。感謝鄧芬藝術基金會和劉季先生的慷慨捐贈，期待未來有更多的合作與交流，共同推動中國傳統文化藝術的傳承與發展。
鄧芬（1894-1964）廣東南海人，被譽為二十世紀粵、港、澳畫壇重要人物之一，擅書畫外，更精詩文、篆刻、撰曲及編劇，堪稱全才。早在一九二三年已與十四位傳統國畫家創立癸亥合作畫社，其後重組為國畫研究會，為繼承和發展傳統國畫的理論和技巧出力。抗戰時鄧芬流寓澳門，其後來往粵港澳之間。抗戰勝利後，他重返濠江，兩度寓居澳門清平直街寄閒俱樂部、荷蘭園大馬路及天神巷，是當時澳門畫壇重地居明軒畫學老師之一，與澳門藝文界關係十分密切。鄧芬繼承中國書畫傳統，又自闢新境界，被畫壇大師黄賓虹稱譽為“南海丹青有鄧芬”。蜚聲中外的國畫大師張大千也推許鄧芬為“現代嶺南唯一國畫家”。
今年適逢鄧芬先生誕辰130周年。本月9日至20日，澳門東亞大學公開學院同學會與澳門大學圖書館合作舉辦《文化傳承——鄧芬文獻資料展》，澳大校友及發展辦公室及鄧芬藝術基金會協辦。
