Artistic impressions

Zhang hailed from a well-off family in Guangdong province. She married Huang, then a talented but destitute young man, despite her family's opposition to the match. The two supported each other through much hardship for decades and the strength of their love is talked about with admiration.

Wang Mingming, former director of the Beijing Fine Art Academy and a close friend of the Huang family, says that because Huang has primarily created ink paintings over the past four decades, his woodcuts are therefore a little unfamiliar to people.

"The prints, undoubtedly the gems of our culture, show Huang's gift of art and his rich life experiences," Wang says. "He has formed a characteristic style comprising the elements of illustration, caricature and Chinese folk arts. His works are imaginative, genuine and pure."

Illustrations and caricatures ignited Huang's interest in art and ushered him into the world of humor. The profound influence is evident in the exaggerated and ludicrous styles that characterize his woodcuts.

"As a teenager, I enjoyed flipping through the many cartoon magazines published in Shanghai. I appreciated the perspectives of life being expressed by cartoon artists," Huang recalls. "Then I grew up to understand how to help myself and others relieve stress in a humorous way. Seeking strength in humor is a rather good attitude to life."

Wu Hongliang, director of the Beijing Fine Art Academy, says Huang's works touch people with a mix of modernity and "an aroma of soil"-the home culture-underneath which there is a sensible man whose intelligence resounds among generations of his audience.

Huang also impresses people with his diligence. He still regularly creates despite his advancing years. When the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the country earlier this year, He joined in dozens of artists to create works to encourage people. He produced a colored ink painting showing a red cross and a hand making a victorious gesture, with an inscription that read, "The Chinese live in a commanding manner."

Huang says, "I have achieved little in my lifetime. I didn't receive much formal education, but I dare not live in laziness or without aim.

"I live every day in the same way as I work on every plank of wood, paying great attention between each cut and fearing mistakes."