Outstanding in his field

In these paintings, Xu has depicted "the ruins and monuments of time" for the viewer, says Gao Shiming, Xu's successor, the current president of the China Academy of Art.

"The Bund in his works is no ordinary urban landscape; rather, it is a witness to the vicissitudes of modernity," Gao says.

"Holding an exhibition at the Bund by the Huangpu River is quite a memorable experience," Xu said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

"The Bund of many years ago appeared in my paintings and my gaze frequently. Standing here, I feel like I'm in a scene from history or a garden of nostalgia," he says.

Contact the writer at mazhenhuan@chinadaily.com.cn