[Introduction] My maternal grandfather, Wang Yuanqi, was only 26 when he passed away. My mother was barely eight months old at the time, with no memory of her father, yet she inherited his striking features. Though she hardly met him, my mother always spoke of her father with immense pride, describing him as an exceptionally gifted artist. While surviving records are scarce, it’s clear her reverence was well-placed. This blog collects some of the published works by Wang Yuanqi. For more of his designs and paintings from the family collection, please take a look at Wang Yuanqi’s Works page. Special thanks to Zhou Chenhe, a PhD candidate in design at Chiba University’s Graduate School of Science and Engineering, for providing some of the materials for this piece.
我的外祖父王元奇去世的时候年仅26岁。那时我的母亲不到8个月，对父亲完全没有记忆，却继承了父亲的五官模样。虽然几乎未曾谋面，可是母亲提起她的父亲时总是充满了骄傲，说他是个天赋异禀的艺术家。虽然现存的资料凤毛麟角，却也能看出母亲的崇敬之心没有错付。本文收集了部分王元奇发表的作品，更多画作放在了王元奇作品页。本文部分资料由日本国立千叶大学融合理工学府设计学专业博士生周晨禾提供，特此感谢。
王元奇1912年出生于北京。他的父亲王经佐据说曾留学日本，先后在参政院秘书厅做秘书，又任内务府礼俗司佥事，曾参与过孙中山的葬事筹备。哥哥王元度毕业于北平大学工程学院学电机工程系。王元奇进入北平大学艺术学院的年代没有找到确切记载，但他于1933年毕业，推算起来差不多是1929年。他去世时李旭英的纪念文章中写到“忆自十八年秋，艺术院内，怜才别具青眼，念一年春，实美楼头，偕老同证素心。” 按照这个推算，他们相识在1929年秋，也就是李旭英刚刚开始在艺专做老师，而王元奇刚刚入学的时候。李旭英大王元奇10岁，是他的老师。他们1932年春结婚。那时候王元奇应该还没有毕业。这段姻缘颇有些惊世骇俗，所幸他们两边的父亲都比较开明，再加上李旭英经济独立，完全是自主的婚姻。
王元奇虽然是实用美术专业，可是他对书法、国画、西画都精通，还擅长画漫画，是个很有才气的艺术家。李旭英曾在诗作中描述他“少小精雕刻，都门学写生。挥毫师白石，畅达自然情。” 那时期齐白石（1864-1957）、王雪涛（1903-1982）这些国画大师都先后在北平艺专等北平的艺术学校任教。王元奇是否正式拜了齐白石为师无从知晓，上过他的课是极有可能。王雪涛还为他画了扇面。知名学者甘大文（1892-？）（蜇仙）那时在艺专教文学史，也为王元奇题过字。李旭英祭文中说王元奇“遗作有万千，”可惜保留下来的作品极少，大部分在文革中毁掉了。现在只能从旧刊物里，拼凑些蛛丝马迹。1933年6月王元奇毕业之际，在中山公园举办了一次个人画展。画展集中了他两年来的得意之作，分为基本图案、印刷图案、染织图案、陶瓷图案、金工图案、装饰图案、西洋画和中国画，此外还有他为商家设计的封面、广告等。图案新颖，西画精美，中画苍劲，都有独到之处。他的创作既有对东方艺术的融合，又有对时弊的针砭，耐人寻味。据说观者甚多，还有不少粉丝留言。1933年的《时代》杂志上也刊登了他的图案设计，有可能是同年燕京大学国货展览会上展出的作品。
毕业之后，按照《新北京报》的说法，王元奇在北京的一些“专门以上学校”任教。目前能找到记录的，是著名小说家张恨水（1895-1967）于1931年创办的北华美术专科学校，简称北华美专。王元奇在那里教西画。虽然不知道他具体什么时候开始的这份工作，不过1934年6月北华美举办专师生联展时，教授陈列室已有他的作品。
教书之余，王元奇还是《新北平报》（《新北京报》前身）的艺术记者。这里顺便提一下籍贯的事。王元奇虽然生长在北京，但祖籍是安徽歙县，所以但凡提到籍贯的地方，写的都是安徽。那时候安徽省教育厅会给安徽籍的北平大学学生发奖学金，王元奇也在其中。无论是创办北华美专的张恨水，还是创办《新北平报》的凌抚元(1908-1984) 都是安徽籍。张恨水题赠王元奇的扇面还有留存，而凌抚元1937年出版《日本游记》时，王元奇为他设计了封面。
1934年2月起，王元奇在《新北平》上连载《财迷传》等漫画。找他做商业设计的人也很多。从广告、商标、图案花样和灯罩，忙得不亦乐乎。于是1934年底，他编辑出版了《人人图画周刊》（也作《人人画刊》）除介绍装饰图案、艺术作品外，注重美术的实用性，教给普通人如何把美术用到生活中去，包括如何穿着。此外还有长篇小说《时代之花》连载。可惜这个周刊出版了多久，世上还有没有留存，不得而知。1935年8月，他在《庸报》发表了题为《一篇大题小作的文章— 今后艺术之新估价—艺术家应有的觉醒》。文中提出艺术家要以向大众传播艺术情绪为己任才有价值有出路。这个思想倒是和装饰画之王穆夏 (1860-1939) 不谋而合。穆夏选择以海报招贴画的形式创作，就是有着能让普通人有机会接触艺术的想法。王元奇除了多才多艺，还是位很有社会责任感的艺术家。
《庸报》的文章中还提到，王元奇那段时间忙于著书，题为《图案的取材及其它》。李旭英悼念他的对联中提到“遗作成稿，未付板梓，” 不知是否指的就是这部著作。
1935年底，王元奇东渡日本求学。艺专30年代课程中有日文课，王元奇可能早有留学的打算和准备。1936年四月他进入东京高等工艺学校工艺图案科读研究生，1937年3月毕业回国。他在东京期间的创作，只见到为《新北平》画的一小幅漫画，和《艺术与生活》1939年刊登的一幅屏风设计遗作。
回国之后，王元奇去了中央实业部任职，全家搬去了南京。他具体任何职不清楚，只看到《民报》四月二十四日的报道，当时正要举办的全国工艺展，王元奇是筹备委员会的副干事。不久，日本全面侵华，中央下令妇孺撤退，李旭英怀着身孕，带着3岁的大女儿，先行踏上了流亡的旅途。而王元奇则是随着政府撤退。两人在武汉短暂见面又分离，计划中目的地是到四川。此前《华北日报》7月有个报道，说是在京的四川名流筹划将四川中学改建为高级职业学校，其中有美术工艺科，聘请了诸多名人任教，其中图案教授里有王元奇和李旭英的名字。也许这是他们原本入蜀计划的一部分。然而李旭英于1937年底在武汉产下二女儿后，身心疲惫，又几经颠簸，无奈之下选择回北平投靠家人。王元奇这期间也因为劳累过度开始咳血，1938年回京后，受疟疾和肺病的双重打击，身体状况急转直下，救治无效，同年7月23日辞世。
王元奇走后停灵法源寺，于1940年3月下葬万安公墓。艺专很多师生前去送行。李旭英独立负担了丈夫的后事，并撰写长联、文章和诗歌纪念。李旭英和王元奇相守6年，有两个女儿。此后李旭英未再嫁。
Wang Yuanqi was born in Beijing in 1912. His father, Wang Jingsuo, reportedly studied in Japan and served as a secretary in the Senate Secretariat before becoming an official in the Bureau of Rites and Customs of the Ministry of the Interior, even helping plan Sun Yat-sen’s funeral. His elder brother, Wang Yuandu, graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Beiping University’s Engineering School. The exact year Wang Yuanqi entered Beiping University’s Art Academy isn’t documented, but since he graduated in 1933, he likely started around 1929. A memorial piece by Li Xuying, written after his death, recalls: “I remember the autumn of the 18th year [1929], within the Art Academy, I admired his talent and took notice; in the spring of the 21st year [1932], atop Shimei Building, we vowed to grow old together.” This suggests they met in the fall of 1929, when Li Xuying, ten years his senior, began teaching at the academy, and Wang Yuanqi was a new student. They married in the spring of 1932, likely before his graduation. Their union was somewhat unconventional for the time, but both of their fathers were progressive, and Li Xuying’s financial independence made it a marriage of choice.
Though Wang Yuanqi majored in applied arts, he excelled in calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, Western painting, and even cartoons—a truly versatile artist. Li Xuying once described him in poetry: “In youth, he mastered carving; in the capital, he studied life drawing. With a brush, he followed Baishi’s style, expressing a natural, unrestrained spirit.” During that period, masters of traditional Chinese painting such as Qi Baishi (1864–1957) and Wang Xuetao (1903–1982) both taught at art schools in Beiping, including Beiping University’s Art Academy. Whether Wang Yuanqi formally became a disciple of Qi Baishi is unknown, but he likely took classes with him. Wang Xuetao made a fan painting for him. A famous scholar of the time Gan Dawn (1892-?) was teaching history of Chinese literature at the Academy. He gifted a fan calligraphy to Yuanqi. Li Xuying in her memorial piece claimed that Wang Yuanqi left behind countless works. Unfortunately few of them survived, as most were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. What little is left can only be pieced together from old publications. In June 1933, upon graduating, he held a solo exhibition in Zhongshan Park, showcasing two years of his best work: basic patterns, printing designs, textile patterns, ceramic designs, metalwork patterns, decorative patterns, Western paintings, and Chinese paintings, plus commercial covers and advertisements. His designs were innovative, his Western paintings refined, and his Chinese paintings vigorous, each with a unique flair. Blending Eastern aesthetics with sharp social commentary, his work was thought-provoking. The exhibition drew crowds, with fans leaving enthusiastic notes. That same year, The Times magazine published his pattern designs, possibly from the National Goods Exhibition at Yenching University.
After graduating, according to New Beijing newspaper reports, Wang Yuanqi taught at several “prestigious” schools in Beijing. Records confirm he taught Western painting at Beihua Art School, which was founded by the famous novelist Zhang Henshui (1895-1967) in 1931. While it’s unclear when he started, by June 1934, his work was displayed in the faculty section of Beihua’s student-teacher joint exhibition.
Beyond teaching, Wang Yuanqi was an art reporter for New Beiping (predecessor to New Beijing). A quick note on his roots: though born and raised in Beijing, his ancestral home was Shexian, Anhui. Thus, whenever his place of origin was mentioned, it was listed as Anhui. The Anhui Provincial Department of Education awarded scholarships to Anhui-origin students at Beiping University, and Wang Yuanqi was one of the recipients. Both Zhang Henshui, who founded Beihua Art School, and Ling Fuyuan (1908-1984), who started New Beiping, were also from Anhui. A fan inscribed by Zhang Henshui for Wang Yuanqi still survives, and Wang designed the cover for Ling Fuyuan’s 1937 book Japan Travelogue.
From February 1934, Wang Yuanqi serialized comic strips like The Misadventures of a Money-Grabber in New Beiping. He was in high demand for commercial designs—advertisements, trademarks, patterns, even lampshades—keeping him busy. By late 1934, he launched People’s Art Weekly (also called People’s Pictorial), which featured decorative patterns and fine art while emphasizing practical applications, like how to incorporate art into daily life, including fashion tips. It also serialized a novel, Flower of the Times. Sadly, it’s unknown how long the publication ran or if any copies survive. In August 1935, he published an article in Yongbao titled “A Short Essay on a Big Topic: A New Valuation of Art—An Awakening for Artists.” He argued that artists must spread artistic sentiment to the masses to find purpose and relevance, a view echoing the “king of decorative art” Mucha (1860-1939), who created posters to make art accessible to the public. Wang Yuanqi wasn’t just talented; he was socially conscious.
The Yongbao article also mentioned he was busy writing a book, Source Materials for Patterns and Beyond. Li Xuying’s elegiac couplet for him references “unfinished manuscripts, yet to be published”—perhaps this very work.
In late 1935, Wang Yuanqi traveled to Japan for further studies, enrolling in April 1936 as a graduate student in the Department of Craft and Design at Tokyo’s Higher School of Art and Technology. He graduated in March 1937 and returned to China. Little information survives about his Tokyo creations: a small cartoon for New Beiping and a screen design published posthumously in Art and Life in 1939.
Back in China, Wang Yuanqi joined the Ministry of Industry of the Central Government and moved his family to Nanjing. His exact role is unclear, but a Minbao report from April 24, 1937, notes he was deputy secretary for the organizing committee of the upcoming National Industrial Art Exhibition. Soon after, Japan’s full-scale invasion began, and the government ordered women and children to evacuate. Li Xuying, pregnant and with their three-year-old daughter, embarked on an arduous journey into exile. Wang Yuanqi retreated with the government. They briefly reunited in Wuhan before parting again, aiming for Sichuan. A July 1937 North China Daily report mentioned Sichuan notables in Beijing planning to transform Sichuan High School into a higher vocational school, with an art and craft department listing Wang Yuanqi and Li Xuying as pattern instructors—perhaps part of their plan for relocating to Sichuan. But toward the end of 1937, after giving birth to their second daughter in Wuhan, Li Xuying, exhausted and displaced, returned to Beiping to stay with family. Wang Yuanqi, overworked and coughing blood, fell gravely ill. By 1938, back in Beijing, malaria and lung disease overwhelmed him. Despite treatment, he passed away on July 23, 1938.
Wang Yuanqi’s body was laid in state at Fayuan Temple and buried in Wanan Cemetery in March 1940. Many from the Art Academy attended his funeral. Li Xuying single-handedly managed his funeral, writing elegiac couplets, essays, and poems in his memory. Their six-year marriage produced two daughters. Li Xuying never remarried.