March, 1992.page42
The passion and truth of Zhang Wen Xin’s Chinese oil panintings are bound to arouse their viewers.Although not all of his images are Chinese,he constantly paints with the same passionate search for truth.In the oil painting,Green Rice Field(below),his masterful use of color and painterly brush work is reminiscent of the old Russian painters.His bold realism echoes the traditional idiom in its impressionist treatment of classic subjects.Through careful and meticulous rendering of his subject.he reiterates one of thd most enduring genres in paintings.While the direct legacy of traditional forms and styles is much in evidence,there are also many examples of the assimilation of outside influences.Many of his paintings combine the old and the new and his skillful control of rich colors suggests a lush and exquisite world.