Chinese name: Feng Zikai
Foreign name: Zikai·Feng (FONG, TSE KA)
Alias: Fengrun, Fengren, Feng still, Feng Ziqi
Nationality: Chinese
Ethnicity: Han
Constellation: Scorpio
Place of birth: Zhejiang Shimen Town, Tongxiang City, Jiaxing City
Graduate School: Zhejiang Provincial First Normal School
Representative works: "Essays of Yuanyuantang", "Re-Essays of Yuanyuantang", "Essays" "Twenty Pieces", "Poems in Paintings", "White Goose", "Life is Simple" and "The Beauty of Uselessness"
Feng Zikai, whose real name is Fengrun, also named Zikai, is from Shimenwan, Chongde, Zhejiang. Born in the 24th year of Guangxu (1898), he has six sisters. After his mother gave birth to him, he was nicknamed "Ciyu" because his parents loved him very much. When he was in elementary school in his hometown, there was an election going on in the countryside. The primary school teacher said that people in the countryside are less educated and it is difficult to write characters with many strokes. For future considerations, the name should use characters with fewer strokes. Therefore, the character "Run" was changed to the character "Ren". The teacher said that the Zhejiang pronunciation of "Ren" "It's almost the same as "Run", and "Ren" is close in meaning to "Ci" in "Ciyu", so his name is "Fengren". With this name, he entered Zhejiang First Normal School in Hangzhou. He studied music and painting from Uncle Li, and Chinese literature from Xia Jizun. After graduation, he co-founded the Chinese Aesthetic Education Association with Liu Zhiping, Wu Mengfei, Liu Haisu and Jiang Dan to launch the magazine "Aesthetic Education". He also founded the Shanghai Art College with Zhi Ping to teach Western art.
When he was in the First Normal University, because he was good at writing articles, he often won the first place in Chinese, and was highly regarded by the Chinese teacher Shan Buyan. Shan Buan felt that there should be a double name in addition to the single name "Fengren", and "Ciyu" was a nickname, so another name should be chosen. Therefore, Shan Buyan named him "Ziyi". Later it was changed to "Zi Kai" ("Kai" and "顗" are the same, both of which mean peace). From then on, he was named "Feng Zikai". Later, he used this name when writing and painting.
In his early paintings, Feng Zikai signed his name with TK. That is the English spelling abbreviation of "Zi Kai". The sub at that time was pronounced "TSU".
Feng Zikai was interested in art since he was a child. In 1914, he entered the Zhejiang Provincial First Normal School and studied painting and music from Li Shutong. Another teacher who had a great influence on him was Xia Chuzun. He called Li Shutong’s education method to him “a father-like education”, while Mr. Xia Chuzun’s education was a “mother-like education”. These two teachers, especially Li Shutong had a great influence on his life. In the autumn of 1918, Li Shutong became a monk at Hupao Temple in Hangzhou. Later Feng Zikai wrote an essay "In Memory of Mr. Li Shutong" in memory of his mentor. In 1917, he organized the Tongyin Painting Group with his classmates. After graduating from the Normal School in 1919, he and several classmates founded the Shanghai Vocational Normal School in Shanghai and served as a drawing teacher. In 1921, he went east to Japan for a short-term study trip to study painting, music and foreign languages. In 1922, he returned to China to teach painting and music at Chunhui Middle School in Shangyu, Zhejiang, and became friends with Zhu Ziqing, Zhu Guangqian and others. After returning to China, he engaged in art and music teaching. He served as editor of Shanghai Kaiming Bookstore and art professor at Shanghai University, Fudan University and Zhejiang University. At the same time, we carry out painting, literary creation and compilation work in literature and art. In 1924, he founded Rieter Academy with his friends. During the Anti-Japanese War, he traveled around the southwest and taught in some colleges and universities. The April issue of the literary and art publication "Our July" published for the first time his painting "After the people have dispersed, a crescent moon and the sky are like water".
The Rieter Society was established in 1925, with participants including Mao Dun, Chen Wangdao, Ye Shengtao, Zheng Zhenduo, Hu Yuzhi and others. In 1926, he taught at Shanghai University of the Arts. In 1929, he was hired as editor by Kaiming Bookstore. In 1931, his first collection of essays, "Yuanyuantang Essays", was published by Kaiming Bookstore. After the July 7th Incident, he led his family to flee. In 1937, it was compiled into "The Comic History of Japan's Invasion of China" and published.
In 1939, he served as lecturer and associate professor of Zhejiang University. In 1942, he served as professor and academic director of Chongqing National Art College. He ended his teaching career in 1943 and specialized in painting and writing.
He has successively translated and published popular books for primary and secondary school students and ordinary music lovers such as "Common Knowledge of Music", "Introduction to Music", "Top Ten Modern Musicians", "Children's Music", etc., and has made many useful contributions to the popularization of modern music knowledge. Work. Returned to Shanghai in 1946. Published picture book "Selected Comics of Zikai". After 1952, he successively served as librarian of the Shanghai Museum of Culture and History, vice chairman of the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Artists Association, executive director of the Chinese Artists Association, vice president of the Shanghai Foreign Culture Association, vice chairman of the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and president of the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy. , Chairman of the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Artists Association, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, etc. He is skilled in painting and calligraphy, and is also good at prose creation and literary translation.
Feng Zikai is a respected cartoonist and essayist in modern China. His paintings and articles have maintained a consistent style despite decades of vicissitudes: graceful and tranquil, and his comics are even more popular. Mr. Feng's works have been widely circulated, and many of them have been lost. Even the more than fifty kinds of picture albums published together have mostly disappeared from the market, which brings great regret to readers. Among Mr. Feng Zikai's works, comics are probably the most famous. Often, just a few strokes can outline an artistic conception, such as "After the people leave, the crescent moon and the sky are like water", a few tea cups and a rolling curtain cage, it is a very mood. Many of Mr. Feng's cartoons are based on children, such as "Abao Shirtless", "You Peel a Melon for Me, I'll Fan You", "Meeting" and "My Son". Reading Mr. Feng's children's comics makes us so-called adults feel ashamed. When will our world become less deceitful, more persistent, more natural, and more indifferent.
As early as the 1920s, he published works such as "Introduction to Art", "Introduction to Music", "A Tour of Western Famous Paintings", "Collected Works of Feng Zikai" and "Collected Prose of Feng Zikai". He published more than 180 books in his lifetime.
Feng Zikai’s prose also has a great influence in the history of Chinese new literature. The main works include "Essays of Yuanyuantang", "Ci Yuanyuantang", "Rewriting of Yuanyuantang", "Information of Yuanyuantang's Spirit in Heaven", "Twenty Essays", "Sweet Memories", "Artistic Interest", "Collection of Frankness", "Guardian". "Collection of Life Paintings" (***9 volumes), etc. "White Goose" has been included in the first- and fourth-grade texts of junior high school, "Bamboo Shadow" has been included in the first-grade text of junior high school, and "Finger" has been included in the curriculum of sixth-grade junior high schools and elementary schools. In the collection of essays "Life is Simple" and "The Beauty of Uselessness", Feng Zikai talks about painting. Except for some artistic comments, most of these works describe his own personal experience of life and daily contacts with people.
On November 9, 1898, Feng Zikai was born in Chongde County, Zhejiang Province. Because he is the only boy among his peers, he has been surrounded by tenderness since he was a child, which makes him always look at things with a tender and compassionate heart. When it spreads in his writing, it becomes plain words and innocence. Painting style.
In 1914, Feng Zikai was admitted to the Zhejiang Provincial First Normal School. In this school, Feng Zikai met two teachers who had a great influence on his life-Li Shutong and Xia Chuzun. The former not only gave him enlightenment in music and art, but also set an example for him in how to behave in the world; while the latter advocated the use of lively vernacular and truthfully expressed one's true feelings, which he always regarded as a guideline and became his guide. The most amiable and lovely feature in future prose creation. In these two teachers with whom he had a deep friendship, Feng Zikai found three things that would accompany him throughout his life - literature, painting and music.
In 1918, Li Shutong became a monk and Feng Zikai became associated with Buddhism.
After graduating from school in 1919, he organized and launched the "Chinese Aesthetic Education Association". Founded the magazine "Aesthetic Education". Founded the first art normal school in the history of Chinese education that included painting, music, and handicrafts—Shanghai Vocational Normal School.
In 1926, Feng Zikai participated in initiating and founding Kaiming Bookstore.
In November 1927, he converted to Buddhism from Master Hongyi and was named Yingxing.
In 1933, the new residence "Yuanyuan Hall" in his hometown was completed, and since then he has devoted himself to translation.
In 1943, Feng Zikai came to Wutongqiao to sell paintings and met Li Daoxi, his mentor.
Died on September 15, 1975.