Xiaofeng Art Museum by the West Lake came alive again on April 8 with the opening of Song Ren’s Art Gallery. The show marks the museum’s first anniversary and, more notably, the first solo of Song’s artistic career.

Step into the place – all clean lines and minimal fuss – and it immediately quiets down. Paintings line the walls, each one whispering something about what Song’s been longing for. The show pulls 67 pieces from the more than a hundred she donated, breaking them into four types: sketches, oil landscapes, oil portraits, and thematic works. Together, they give you the full arc – not just her chops but what she really cared about.

Unlike shows that simply hang works on the wall, this one puts quality front and center, smartly weaving in her sketch notes, art reviews, and a personal timeline. The result is a layered display system of “artwork + archive + era,” helping you not just see the paintings but understand the connection between the artist and her time.

Song was the first woman to teach oil painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. She’s been at it for eight decades, and she’s a big name in China’s realist oil movement. What’s under the brushes? Always people. Whether it’s the heroes who threw themselves into the fight for liberation, or the quiet, ordinary folks who just kept going through hard years – she gave them weight, warmth, and quiet dignity.

“The show on our first anniversary means a lot,” says Pan Cangsang, who runs both the West Lake Museum and Xiaofeng Art Museum. “We hope everyone who walks through the door can have a real conversation with history through these paintings. And really feel that stubborn, heartfelt persistence of that older generation of artists.”

The show runs until July 10. If you’ve got a free time, go give yourself a wander through it.