At three o’clock in the afternoon on May 16, at Benyi Art Space in Minhang District, Shanghai.

There was no extravagant ceremony, nor any lengthy speeches. After several brief yet heartfelt remarks, a “small” exhibition warmly opened.

A total of 102 watercolor works were displayed, each smaller than the size of a book.

Yet within them came the white walls and dark tiled roofs of Jiangnan, the vast twilight landscapes of Northwest China, and the weathered light and shadow of foreign streets.

Feng Xinqun carried these scenes in his travels and unfolded them one by one within this intimate space.

The exhibition is titled Between Inches.

Curator Yue Jianren remarked that this is not an exhibition about scale, but about “gaze”.

When watercolor paper is reduced to the size of a book page, the artist becomes even more focused — there is no need to depict endless landscapes or countless details, only to preserve a fleeting light, a trace of warmth, or a passing mountain hue.

Curator: Yue Jianren

Art Coordinator: Yibing

During the opening ceremony, Professor Huang Azhong from the College of Fine Arts of Shanghai University, Yang Jianyong, Director of Hurun Art, Professor Zhou Chongzhang from China Academy of Art, Professor Wu Guoxin from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning / College of Design and Innovation of Tongji University, Dean Sun Jie from the College of Fashion and Design of Donghua University, and Chen Bo, President of Baihuazhou Literature and Art Publishing House, each shared their perspectives on Feng Xinqun’s watercolor journey.

Some discussed the transparency and fluidity of watercolor language; others admired the sincerity contained within such small dimensions; still others recalled sketching trips shared amid wind, snow, and the fragrance of tea.

The final person to step onto the stage was the artist himself.

Feng Xinqun spoke softly and sparingly, as though afraid to disturb the stillness within his paintings.

He explained that he has become increasingly fascinated by small-format watercolors — precisely because they are small. Their size grants freedom and preserves the emotional spark of a fleeting sketching moment.

Artist: Professor Feng Xinqun

Decades of life experience have not burdened his art with age; instead, they have made his watercolors calmer and more transparent.

 

What he paints are journeys as much as landscapes — scenes of the world, but also reflections of the self.

This exhibition is jointly hosted by the Arts Committee of the World Eco-Design Organization (WEDO, UN Special Consultative Status NGO), and the Shanghai Professional Degree Graduate Education Steering Committee for Art. It is organized by the Watercolor Art Research Institute of the College of Fashion and Design at Donghua University and Benyi Art Space.

Renowned watercolor artist Wang Weixin serves as Academic Host, while Yibing acts as Art Coordinator.

Academic supporting organizations include the Watercolor Art Committee of the China National Society for the Promotion of Arts and Culture, the China Watercolor Academy, and the WEDO.

Supporting institutions also include Shanghai Aowen Art Materials Co., Ltd. and Re-interpretation International Watercolor Exhibition, among others.

Exhibition View

A young visitor stood silently before a palm-sized watercolor painting for a long while before softly remarking: “I never realized such a small painting could make someone step inside it.”

Indeed, though tiny in scale, these works contain entire worlds. Though narrow in dimension, they hold the weight of passing years.

Exhibition View

The exhibition will continue through July 15. If you happen to be in Shanghai, consider setting aside an afternoon to visit Benyi Art Space at No. 100 Zixiu Road.

There is no need for formal posture or knowledge of art theory.

You only need to approach the works and look to see the world through the eyes of a traveler, and perhaps discover art in its purest and most moving form: using the heart as a brush and paper as a medium, connecting all things and gently settling the spirit of everyday life within a square inch of space.

Exhibition View

Artist

Professor Feng Xinqun is a doctoral supervisor, and academic leader at the College of Fashion and Design of Donghua University.

 

He is a committee member of the Watercolor Art Committee of the China National Society for the Promotion of Arts and Culture, researcher at the China Watercolor Academy, and Deputy Director of the Art Committee of the WEDO. He also serves as a member of the National Graduate Education Steering Committee for Professional Degree in Design, member of the Ministry of Education’s Teaching Guidance Committee for Design Disciplines, Executive Director of the Design Education Committee of the China Association of Higher Education, Vice Director of the Industrial Design Branch of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, committee member of the Architectural Arts Committee of the Architectural Society of China, Vice President of the International Society for Design Science (ISDS), Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the Shanghai Professional Degree Graduate Education Steering Committee for Art, member of the China Artists Association, director of the Shanghai Artists Association, Vice Director of the Fashion and Brand Design Art Committee of the Shanghai Designers Association, Director of the Organizing Committee of the Lushan International Watercolor Art Festival, and honorary member of the Australian Watercolour Institute.

Selected Works

Moonlit Night at the Museum — 14 × 9 cm, Watercolor, 2025

Algarve Bay I — 19 × 13 cm, Watercolor, 2025

Morning in Fengjing — 19 × 13 cm, Watercolor, 2021

Rock Walls of the Wu River 14 × 10 cm, Watercolor, 2023

By the River in Porto I 19 × 13 cm, Watercolor, 2025

Sketching in Liangzeng Township, Youyang 14 × 10 cm, Watercolor, 2023

Nothing Hidden from Heaven and Earth When Eating 19 × 13 cm, Watercolor, 2021

A Short Rest in Krabi 19 × 13 cm, Watercolor, 2025