Artist Ren Yaoyi was born in Shanghai in 1956. Ren serves as Vice Chairman of the Yangpu District Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Chairman of the Yangpu District Artists Association, and President of the Hujiang Calligraphy and Painting Academy.

Born in Shanghai in 1958, Shen Xiangran is a member of the China Artists Association and the Shanghai Artists Association. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the Yangpu District Artists Association and First Deputy Curator of Shanghai Qingzhu Art Gallery.

Ren Yaoyi and Shen Xiangran ​
The Source of Water depicts the Rainwater Garden located on the waterfront of Yangpu District. Arranged in a picturesque manner, the pavilions, bridges, vegetation and aquatic plants in the Rainwater Garden blend with the visitors in the foreground of the painting, which represents the harmonious coexistence between human and nature. In the distant view, the Yangshupu Power Plant, a century-old industrial heritage of Yangpu District, the Oriental Fishermen’s Wharf, a modern landmark, and the hustling Huangpu River, mother river of Shanghai, bear witness to the transformation of the Yangpu waterfront from an industrial shoreline dominated by factories and warehouses to one filled with parks and green space featuring lifestyle, ecological conservation, and landscaping. The former industrial rust belt has been turned into a showcase area for thriving urban life that adds to the beauty of Shanghai.
 
Painted on Xuan paper with Chinese brush, ink and pigment, this work uses traditional Chinese painting techniques including combining objects depicted with great details and those with less definition, as well as the use of both black and colored ink. The exaggerated rendering of the underground water pipes calls people’s attention to rainwater recycling as part of the sustainable development efforts. 

Affiliated Sustainability Program: Coming soon!

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