In March 1997, a retrospective exhibition on the art of Du Yongqiao was held at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (Chongqing) by the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Teaching Department. This was Du Yongqiao `s first solo exhibition in his entire life, and presented over 130 oil and watercolor paintings from the 1950s to the 1990s. That May, the retrospective exhibition was held at the Sichuan Art Museum by the Sichuan Artists Association, the Chengdu Art Institute and the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute.

    Symposiums on the art of Du Yongqiao were held at both exhibition locations. The minutes of the proceedings follow below:

Mei Zhongzhi (Chinese painter, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Professor)
I feel that Mr. Du `s oil paintings are pure in flavor and outstanding in spirit. I spent nearly seven years in Japan, and that small country has 54 art museums. Seeing Mr. Du `s oil paintings today called to mind many of the paintings collected in the Japanese museums, as well as an exhibition of Northern European oil paintings from the Middle Ages to modern times that I saw in Japan in 1994. I can say in all certainty that the authenticity of Mr. Du `s oil painting, and the purity and transparency of his colors, are entirely on par with those of the old European masters. Another thing is that whether we are talking about the quality of his art, or the quality of his character, Mr. Du has a highly admirable spirit of carrying things through to the very end. I feel that with or without this exhibition, his impact would still be the same.

Lin Mu (art historian, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Professor)
The importance of this exhibition rests in its demonstration that the art of painting truly does need to “restore the purity of visual language.” Though Mr. Du `s paintings are not in the least bit philosophical, they are extremely alluring. His colors are simply astonishing, and touch the very soul. For many of his paintings, if you look at them with a magnifying glass, each small area is rich with subtle chromatic shifts. How many painters, not just in the southwest, but in all of Chinese oil painting, have such remarkable insight into color? His dynamic brushstrokes, which employ many strokes from Chinese calligraphy and painting, also convey great power and complex shifts. How many in today `s oil painting scene have such skill? He has conveyed the colors of Western oil painting and the spiritual essence of Chinese painting with such perfection, making a vivid portrayal of Chinese emotions in an imported form of painting, embodying the Chinese spirit. Let this be a lesson to all those who think they must doggedly pursue the art of the West. Mr. Du is without a doubt the most outstanding oil painter in China, but our academy always pushed him down. It kept pushing him to the point that he could not hold this exhibition until he retired. Why can `t the school provide more conditions to promote this amazing artistic creation?

He Jidu (Chinese painter, Chengdu Academy of Painting President)
In the art scene, there has never been any dispute that Mr. Du `s art and his pedagogy have truly influenced generations of people. His artistic cultivation has reached astonishing heights, and even now, in his sixties, he has not declined at all. This is a very unique phenomenon among oil painters. That this exhibition has had such a great impact even now in the 1990s shows that Mr. Du `s art can truly stand the test of history. I dare say that his art is eternal. I do believe that time will prove me right.

Hu Renqiao (oil painter)
Everyone knows about Mr. Du `s lot in life. Such a talented person, but not only did he not receive support, he was a victim, a person constantly bullied. This is not just a personal loss for Mr. Du, but a loss for China `s artistic and cultural endeavors as a whole. That is because even in the highly populated country of China, people as talented as him are quite rare. I think his art has reached a level of absolute fluency. His colors and brushstrokes possess extraordinary expressiveness, to the point of forming their own system, and I think this particular system is very whole and complete. In this day dominated by the modernists, the fact that his painting is able to garner such unified praise truly does show that for any type of art, if you can fully grasp and perfect it, you will have a place in history.

Jian Chongmin (oil painter)
Mr. Du has always been a figure for the alternative histories. Looking back over the whole process, I think he was basically a sacrificial lamb. If it were not for the passion for art that flows through his whole body and mind, how would he have ever made it to today? But he can play a role. It is their shared respect and admiration for his painting that has brought together the five or six generations of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. No matter what school of art, path they follow, or level of fame, they all truly look up to him.

Looking back now, I can say that all of my memories of Mr. Du are memories of perfection. How many teachers can we say this about? We did not hold onto his exhortations from those days, but once we stepped out into society, we realized how truly rare and precious it was to have such a dedicated teacher. Mr. Du is outstanding both in the quality of his art, and the quality of his character, and since we can all agree on this, we must not sit back and watch him become the next Chen Zizhuang, only becoming recognized posthumously. An innocent and pure artist such as Mr. Du needs support from all sides to avoid a repetition of Chen Zizhuang `s fate.

Mr. Du `s paintings may not have gone to Beijing to garner some major award or sell for some astronomical price, but he really is held in high regard in the hearts of many of his fellow artists around the country, the reason being that his paintings are purely artistic and academic. Never in his life has he cared about what the government, the dealers or the market like. He has always steered clear of interference from politics, awards, trends or business, and instead followed his artistic conscience and faith to the astonishing artistic level we see today.

Qian Laizhong (Chinese painter, Secretary, Sichuan Federation of Literary and Art Circles)
We should be proud that Sichuan can have such outstanding artists as Mr. Du and Chen Zizhuang. Why is Chen Zizhuang being recognized only now? He had many students and many admirers, and they have always promoted Chen Zizhuang and lauded his art. I feel that you cannot pass on your art without people to follow you. Without people to follow your footsteps, it is difficult to contribute your artistic results to society. The painter `s individual achievements will be buried. Mr. Du is a remarkable artist, and though his influence is growing, it appears that no one will follow in his unique artistic path. My suggestion is that Mr. Du establish a studio and pass his art to the next generation.

Lü Shuzhong (print artist, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Professor)
I have not seen such a genuine exhibition for a long time. Du Yongqiao `s artistic achievements are plain to see, but this is the only exhibition he has ever held in his life, and the artworks leave much of the scene in the dust. In the painting scene today, everyone seems occupied with publishing catalogues and holding exhibitions, but few achieve their expected outcome, much less compare to Mr. Du `s.

No one can deny his great level of skill in colors, and his original brushwork is worthy of research. People have been speaking of the nationalization of oil painting for many years, and here we see a precious example of success in this regard. Du Yongqiao `s oil paintings are immediately recognizable as Chinese. His brushwork is constantly changing in profound ways, and has the flavor of Chinese painting. This is one of his innovations. But his oil paintings are also very pure and unique, showing his deep cultivation in both forms of art. His ability to fuse two forms of painting from different cultural backgrounds so naturally and seamlessly is truly quite precious.

Zhang Jie (oil painter, Professor and Vice President, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute)
When painters hold exhibitions these days, they need to do a lot of negotiating and deal-making on their own. The fact that Mr. Du did not have to deal with any of this for this exhibition, from Chongqing to Chengdu, that he was invited by the art institute and the artist association, and that the museums broke with precedent to offer the exhibition space for free, is testament to his academic prestige. The scene at the opening at the art institute was quite an amazing spectacle. The exhibition space was packed full of people, and even the symposium was surrounded by onlookers and participants. I have never seen such a scene at any exhibition in China or overseas.

In this time of increasing contemporary diversity, why does Mr. Du `s exhibition attract so much attention amidst all of the other exhibitions and events taking place? Why do so many modernists also have such reverence for Mr. Du? My own insight is that no matter what era or trend the artist is in, as long as he reaches great heights, he will certainly be recognized. Mr. Du does not have a way with words, nor is he skilled at planning, social engagement or promotion, but with the power of his artworks, he has moved one generation after another.

Luo Li (oil painter, Head, Department of Fine Arts Education, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute)
In recent years I have often tried to convince Mr. Du to hold an exhibition, but he was never willing to do so. This exhibition only came about at the urging of his friends. I only realized the extent of his influence after the exhibition opened. The venues have been packed with people every day, and many phone calls have come in urging an extension of the exhibition duration. When people saw the high level of the artworks on display, they were struck by a negative thought. They wondered why such a high quality exhibition wasn `t held until now, and why it is only happening after Mr. Du retired. I think we can only look to the so called “Du Yongqiao phenomenon” for answers. For decades, he was focused on one thing alone: painting. He never cared about fortune or fame, and was never very skilled at public matters or relationships.

In his art and his teaching, Mr. Du influenced several generations of us. There is something magical about his painting that is worthy of research and promotion. I will say that in any regard, Mr. Du is the most outstanding artist in our country. Artists such as him only emerge once a century. This is not an exaggeration at all. It represents a view shared by many. Sadly, few people have the chance to take in his original works. 

Zhou Chunya (oil painter)  
I had heard of Mr. Du long before I studied painting, and when I saw his original works, I was amazed. Later, the more I learned about painting, the more I respected Mr. Du `s. In my mind, there is no doubt that he is a true, pure artist. His painting style has influenced so many people, so many generations so deeply that you hear people talking about him, and expressing their respect for him, wherever you go. This influence will only grow in the future.

Li Jinyuan (Chinese painter, Art Department of Sichuan Normal University Professor) 
I had not met Mr. Du before, but I have personally seen the enormous impact his art has had on the art world through every period, not just among oil painters or watercolor painters. In fact, there is a group of talented Chinese painters right now who have never directly studied under him, but admit to being deeply influenced by his teachings. Most of these Chinese painters began in Western painting, and even now, in their colors and artistic language, we can see Mr. Du `s influence. Oil painters may not imagine the amount of respect that I and these Chinese painters have for Mr. Du. This comes from deep inside. There is generally a shared opinion on the quality of an artist `s works. Works are not respected just for making waves. Only outsiders get confused by this.

Zhang Ziqi (Chinese painter, Sichuan University Art Department Professor)
Whether in terms of color or emotional expression, Mr. Du `s paintings are extraordinary. My son is a painter, and so I have interacted with many young artists, many of whom are engaged in avant-garde art, and every single one of them is filled with awe for Mr. Du `s art. I think this is no simple task. In fact, everyone knows that whether it is the older generation or the new generation, the traditional painters or the avant-gardists, everyone has the deepest admiration for Mr. Du `s colors. Not everyone who came to the exhibition today is engaged in Western-style painting. There were also many Chinese painters, sculptors, designers and installation artists. But that level of engagement when they all looked at the paintings, everyone could tell that this was not like most exhibitions that are mainly social engagements. Mr. Du `s paintings are alluring in any era, so I feel that if his art is not researched in a timely fashion, it will be a great loss not only for this individual painter, but for society.

Li Deqing (Editor-in-Chief, Sichuan Fine Arts Communications) 
Mr. Du `s paintings clearly reveal a high level of cultivation and skill in colors and drawing, but he is also able to express with great freedom. To be able to fuse these two elements so well is already quite impressive, let alone his achievements with color. We have so many painters in this enormous nation of ours, but those who have reached his level of achievement with color are truly rare. It is no wonder so many scholars and painters from across the country say that he is the kind of artist you only see once a century, not just for the southwest, but for all of China. There is a consensus that if there was the opportunity, Mr. Du could stand up to all the great masters of color in Chinese history. This is a solid conclusion. Unfortunately, in the complex country that is China, we still do not have the opportunity to say such things. Also, some of us believe that we should discuss something called the “Du Yongqiao phenomenon.” Mr. Du made outstanding achievements throughout his life, but he never fought with the world, never promoted himself and never chased the trends, and yet today he is more highly respected than the painters who did promote themselves. This should be an inspiration to the painting scene.

Above remarks compiled from audio recordings