Foreword to the Exhibition "Forward, Forward"

In the long river of history, there is a period of flames and battles forever engraved in the deep memory of the Chinese nation. Between the mountains and rivers of Northeast China in the 1930s and 1940s, in a time of national crisis, the Chinese Communist Party led the people of Northeast China through fourteen years of bloody struggle. With heroic courage that shook the heavens and moved spirits, they waged an unyielding battle against the Japanese invaders, writing a magnificent and glorious chapter in history. From the Northeast Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, the Northeast Anti-Japanese Guerrillas, and the Northeast People’s Revolutionary Army to the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, the indomitable will of the martyrs was like a flame that never goes out, illuminating a dark era and forging the great spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army.

To implement the important speech of General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspection in Liaoning and to vigorously promote the spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, we have organized this collective creation. After selecting the topic, the creative team visited the September 18th Historical Museum in Shenyang, the Benxi Anti-Japanese United Front Museum, the Benxi Anti-Japanese United Army Site, Fushun Pingdingshan Martyrs’ Memorial Hall, and other locations. During the creative process, we organized multiple manuscript reviews and discussions, and after a year of effort, successfully completed the creation task. We hope that through our works, we can praise the heroes who once fought in the mountains and rivers of Northeast China, educate and guide the people to remember red history, inherit red genes, continue the red bloodline, and consciously integrate personal ideals into the great cause of the nation and the people.

The members of this exhibition project comprise fifteen people, including two teachers, seven undergraduate students, and six graduate students, displaying a total of twenty-two works. The content ranges from grand war scenes to the portrayal of heroic figures, from women bandaging the wounded to children wielding red tassel spears. The authors interpret history from different angles of the Anti-Japanese United Army, glorifying the heroes of this land. This exhibition is held to better promote the impact of this historical painting course, and the joint participation of teachers and students reflects the educational significance of passing on the torch.

This exhibition has benefited from the approval and support of the Discipline Development Planning Office of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts for this Double First-Class project, and we are also deeply grateful for the full support of Tinglan Art Museum for this exhibition. We hope everyone will gain something from this exhibition!

Luxun Academy of Fine Arts

Shi Yuefeng, Li Shipeng