Chronology of Huang Xinbo

1916

Born in Taishan county, Guangdong Province.

1930

Admitted to Taishan County Secondary School, where he showed passion and talent for art, literature and music.

1932

Published a commentary in the school magazine to call on national resistance to Japanese aggression, which led to a secret expulsion of Huang from the school.

1933

Arrived in Shanghai and enrolled in Qiao Guang Secondary School.

In September, he joined New Asia Art Education Institute which was run by the Left-Wing General Cultural Alliance, studying painting and woodcut.

1934

Admitted to the Shanghai School of Fine Art to study Western painting and joined the MK Research Society.

In April, he posted more than 50 pieces of his earliest woodcuts to Lu Xun to seek comments. He founded the Nameless Woodcut Society (later renamed as Unnamed Woodcut Society) with classmate Liu Xian.

In June, his woodcut Push was selected by Lu Xun for his publication Woodcut Records, the first anthology of the newly emerged Chinese woodcut. Huang used the byline “Yi Gong”.

That summer, he joined the League of Left-Wing Writers and League of Left-Wing Artists.

In October, collaborating with Liu Xian, Huang’s works were hand-printed in publications of their own, two of which were both titled Wood Engraving.

In December, he was recommended by Lu Xun to design the front cover and woodcut illustrations for Ye Zi and Tian Jun’s novels, Harvest and Rural August respectively.

1935

In January, his woodcut Push was showcased in the “National Woodcut Joint Exhibition” in Beijing.

In spring, he began studying in Tokyo, Japan, where he attended the “Chinese Academic Research Symposium” and the “Art Symposium for Chinese Students in Japan”. Besides, he also took charge of the Tokyo Division of the League of Left-Wing Artists.

In August, an art exhibition was presented as part of the “Art Symposium for Chinese Students in Japan”. There were more than 100 exhibits, marking the debut of the newly emerged Chinese woodcut in Japan.

1936

Left Japan in June.

In October, Huang co-organised and contributed 13 pieces of his woodblock prints to “The Second National Woodcut Touring Exhibition”, with artists such as Chen Yanqiao, Ye Fu, Jiang Feng, Li Qun, and Cao Bai in Shanghai. The exhibition was honoured by a visit from Lu Xun who then held discussions with Huang and other young woodcut artists on the art of woodblock printing.

Lu Xun died on 19 October. Huang was the helper of the funeral committee.

1937

In April, his first woodcut collection Road Monuments was published by Shanghai Chao Feng Publishing House, featuring 30 works that he completed between 1935 and 1937.

Arrived in Hong Kong in September.

In October, he received his anti-war Japanese friends, Kaji Wataru and Ikeda Sachiko, and took care of the couple who had just fled from Shanghai.

In November, through the artist Ren Zhenhan’s introduction, Huang and Guo Moruo, a friend he met in Japan, visited Hong Kong antique collector, Yang Quan.

1938

In January, he published anti-Japanese comics in the first issue of Jiulou Monthly.

In May, he was appointed special correspondent and editor of the supplement at Salvation Daily in Guangzhou.

In September, the All-China Woodcut Association of Resistance (All-China Woodcut Association) was founded in Wuhan. Huang was elected council member.

1939

In January, edited and published Anti-Japanese Pictorial.

In June, Huang was among the team responsible for relocating All-China Woodcut Association from Chongqing to Guilin. At the same time, he also participated in the editorial work of Comic and Woodcut Ten-day Periodical, and Comic and Woodcut Monthly, both under Salvation Daily (jointly edited with All-China Cartoonists Association of Resistance), and Work and Study, Comics and Woodcut etc.

1940

Taught at the Guilin College of Art and gave lectures on Woodblock printing.

In October, co-organised “The Tenth Anniversary of National Woodblock Print Exhibition”.

In November, the first issue of periodical, Art of Wood, was published by the All-China Woodcut Association. Huang and Liu Jianan were the co-editors in chief.

1941

In February, Huang arrived in Hong Kong, and attended events organised by the Hong Kong Division of the All-China Cartoonists Association of Resistance.

In April, Chinese Business Daily was first published. Huang was the art editor of its supplement.

1942

In April, Huang arrived in Guilin. He carried on producing anti-Japanese propagandist woodblock prints and paintings, while teaching part-time at the Rong Men College of Art in Guilin.

In December, Huang co-organised a large-scale art exhibition entitled “Hong Kong in Distress” with Yu Feng, and Yang Qiuren etc., centering on the themes of Sino-Japanese War and life in exile during the Pacific War. Huang exhibited 13 works in the show.

1943

In July, Huang co-organised exhibition “Evening Fireflies” with Yu Suoya, contributing 70 personal works.

In September, Guilin Chun Cao Press published on album on his works, Songs of the Heart.

1944

In August, a joint woodcut exhibition was organised with Liang Yongtai in Liuzhou.

In September, Huang joined the Psychological Operations Unit in Southeast Asia in the Allied Forces. Counter-propaganda strategies were adopted to curtail the determination of the Japanese military in fighting the war. During the Sino-Japanese War, Huang produced a great number of anti-Japanese propagandist drawings and leaflets.

Arrived in Kunming in December.

1945

That summer, “Movement and Stillness”, a joint anti-Japanese exhibition with Kang Lang, was hosted in Kunming to showcase more than 130 pieces of woodblock prints, comics and sketches.

In September, the Sino-Japanese War ended. Huang came to Hong Kong and worked in Da Qian Printing and Publishing Company as editor of Da Qian Pictorial.

1946

In January, Chinese Business Daily resumed publication. Huang worked as a field reporter until early 1947.

In June, Human Art Club was founded by Huang Xinbo, and other artists such as Huang Mengtian, Lu Wuya, Liang Yongtai, Chen Yutian, Fu Luofei and Sa Yifu. The group was very active in art creation and research, as well as in organising different kinds of exhibitions and art events.

In December, Human Publishing House was founded by Huang Xinbo and other members like Chen Shi, Huang Mengtian, Hua Jia and Huang Ningying. Its main publications included literature and art titles, and translated books. In late 1949, the publishing house was moved to Guangzhou, and carried on publishing until 1951.

This year, Huang also took up oil painting.

1947

In March, Human Art Club hosted their first comic exhibition “The Stormy China”, showing the works of its members, including 10 of Huang’s works.

In May, Human Art Club jointly organised “The First National Woodcut Exhibition” at the Hong Kong Cosmos Club with the Hong Kong China-Overseas Literary and Art Liaison Agency, and the All-China Woodcut Association.

In December, Huang participated in the “Six Person’s Art Exhibition-Te Wei, Lu Wuya, Fang Jing, Sheng Cijun, Chen Yutian, Huang Xinbo”. He was criticised for exploring new artistic expression.

1948

In June, Human Art Club held the exhibition, “Cartoons and Woodcuts Against US Aid to Japan”, and published Cartoons Against Aid to Japan. Participated in the “Eight Person’s Art Exhibition” (Gao Zhesheng, Fang Jing, Sheng Cijun, Wang Qi, Huang Xinbo, Lu Wuya, Chen Yutain, Wu Aifan), and raised funds for the newly founded Hong Kong Southern College.

In November, Huang was appointed chief editor for the biweekly journal Ta Kung Pao．New Art, and the weekly journal Wen Wei Po．Comic Weekly.

1949

In January, Human Art Club presented the “Xinbo Art Exhibition” at Cecil Hotel, exhibiting more than 100 woodcuts and oil paintings.

In March, Hong Kong Yan Press published Collection of Oil Paintings and Woodcuts by Hsin Po, 1943-1948, featuring 33 woodcuts and oil paintings created in the period.

In July, “The First National Congress of Cultural and Art Workers” was inaugurated in Beijing. Huang was elected as council member.

1950

Appointed professor of the South China People Academy of Literature and Art; head of the Art and Liaison Units, South China Literature Federation; and member of the Cultural and Art Committee, Propaganda Department, South China branch of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

1952

Organised the “Central and Southern Areas Land Reform Exhibition” which was opened in Wuhan in October.

1953

Led the editorial team of Canton Pictorial.

1954

Appointed head of the Art Studio of Guangdong Province.

1956

In March, Huang was elected Chairman of the Guangzhou Division of the China Artists’ Association.

In July, Huang visited Bulgaria with the delegation of Chinese artists.

1958

In October, Selected Woodcuts of Xinbo was published by People’s Fine Art Publishing House, featuring 35 woodcuts from the years 1935 to 1957.

Huang mobilised artists to produce propagandist paintings and comics, and organise exhibitions in rural regions. He also engaged in mural painting and sculpting in Northern Guangdong, Xinhui and Panyu.

1960

In June, Huang took part in “The Fourth National Block Print Exhibition” and “Joint Block Print Exhibition of Beijing, Sichuan and Guangdong”.

Elected Chairman of the Guangdong Division of the China Artists’ Association; and Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Division of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

Woodcuts Bumper Harvest for People’s Commune and Across the South China Sea were selected for a touring exhibition in Japan and more than ten other countries.

1961

Travelled to Hong Kong to host the “Modern Chinese Prints Exhibition”, and prepared for the “Exhibition of the Lingnan School Painters” to be shown in Hong Kong. He also visited Hong Kong antique collector Yang Quan for the discussion of donation of antiques.

1962

In January, Huang’s anthology Three Years was published by Guangdong People’s Publishing House, presenting 20 pieces of works dating from 1935 to 1961.

In June, Huang organised the “Joint Exhibition of Tianjing and Guangdong Block Print”.

1963

In January, the “Xinbo Block Print Exhibition” was held, showcasing 85 woodblock prints from the period of 1935 to 1962.

Appointed President of the Guangdong Art Academy.

In August, Selected Works of Huang Xinbo was published by People’s Fine Art Publishing House, covering 20 woodblock prints between 1935 and 1962.

1964

In January, Huang organised “The Fifth National Block Print Exhibition”.

Visited Shanxi and other places with painters Fang Rending, Guan Shanyue and Yu Ben.

1965

In May, Huang hosted an exhibition titled as “Supporting Vietnam in Resisting US Aggression”. Voice of the Heroic People, a set of woodcuts collectively produced by Huang Xinbo, Yang Newei, and Chen Dongting etc., was toured for exhibition in Beijing and Vietnam.

1966

The Cultural Revolution broke out; all art activities came to a halt.

1971

In the beginning of the year, Huang resumed artistic production as soon as he was released from the Ying De May 7 Cadre School in Guangdong.

1973

Appointed deputy of the Revolutionary Committee of the Guangdong People Art Academy.

1975

Appointed deputy of the Literary and Art Workshop of the Guangdong Province.

1977

In January, Huang resumed duties after the Cultural Revolution, and attended the national art conference in Beijing.

In December, Huang presided over the resumption of the Guangdong Art Academy and the Guangdong Division of the China Artists’ Association.

An exhibition titled as “Original Block Prints by Huang Xinbo” was organised by Joint Publishing Company (Hong Kong); 20 works produced from 1962 to 1975 were published by Joint Publishing Company (Hong Kong) in Huang Hsin-Po’s Woodcuts, a woodblock anthology of Huang.

1978

In September, Huang and seven other delegates including Yu Ben were invited to Dalian to participate in local art activities and host woodcut seminars.

In November, “Huang Xinbo Block Print Exhibition” was held in Shenzhen, showcasing 162 pieces of woodcut made in the period from 1933 to 1977.

Xinbo Block Print Album was published by People’s Fine Art Publishing House, featuring Huang’s works from 1933 to 1977.

1979

In January, held an art symposium with dozens of members from the Hong Kong art sector, who were visiting Guangzhou. “Huang Xinbo Block Print Exhibition” travelled to Guangzhou, and then toured around Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai.

In November, Huang was elected Vice Chairman of the China Artists’ Association and committee of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

In December, Huang joined the editorial team in Shanghai for Selections of Modern Prints of China in the Fifty Years from 1931 to 1981 and Everlasting Chinese Woodcuts.

Two of his works, Sky of Clouds and Sea of Mountains and The Eternal Flowers were selected for exhibitions in countries such as Yugoslavia.

1980

In March, 11 woodblocks of Huang were selected for the show, “50 Years of Chinese Woodcut Exhibition”, in France; Bangchui Island under the Moonlight was sent to Japan for the “Modern Chinese Block Print Exhibition”.

On 7 March, Huang died of illness in Guangzhou at the age of 64.