2008年6月25日，北京韩美林艺术馆在通州正式落成。这座静谧大气的建筑不仅成为了首都北京的文化宝藏与人文景观，并且与京杭大运河另一端的“杭州韩美林艺术馆”（于2005年10月19日开幕）相互辉映，彰显出大运河的厚重历史与文化张力，将一种深沉的地缘和文化归属感传递给了有着南北血脉及浓烈爱国情怀的韩美林先生。
　　在当代中国画坛，韩美林是一位具有多方面艺术才能、最具创作活力、艺术门类涉猎最广、作品数量也最多的艺术家。在国画、书法、陶瓷、雕塑、设计、工艺美术等各个方面，他都无所不能，都有很高成就。
　　全馆共设六个展厅，其中包括序厅、陶瓷•工艺品厅、设计•装饰绘画厅、雕塑厅、国画书法厅、影视厅，展品两千余件。此外制作室、工艺品店以及周边的天书楼、陶吧等相应的文化设施，为艺术爱好者们提供了参观、交流、互动的文化平台。
　　在当代中国画坛，韩美林是一位具有多方面艺术才能、最具创造活力、艺术门类涉猎最广、作品数量也最多的艺术家。在绘画、书法、陶艺、雕塑、设计、工艺美术等各个方面，他都无所不能，皆有很高成就。他作为一个“全能型”的艺术家，无人能出其右。
　　但不管韩美林的艺术涉及到多少艺术种类和样式，也无论他熟悉多少种媒介、熟练掌握多少种技巧，他的艺术无不来自两个资源：生活与传统。生活是现实所给予他的视觉资源，传统是经由历代艺术家和民间艺人创造的文化资源。韩美林的艺术正是深深根植于这两个资源之上。
　　韩美林的艺术，无论是哪一类型的作品，什么材质的作品，也无论是小品还是巨制，均能给人以美的感受。虽然这中间有着种种的差异——优美、秀美、柔美、壮美等等，但都在美之列，都是对传统审美理想的延续和发展。对他而言，一切美的形象、美的形体、美的姿态、美的姿态、美的瞬间、美的结构……只要在他的视野中，想象中能搜索到与美相关的东西，一概收入他的囊中。
　　韩美林的大名是与他的小猫小狗、小狐小猴一起走进千家万户的。他虽然不断有鸿篇巨制问世，但依然还在画这些憨态可掬、稚气可爱的小动物。他们像一个个天真活泼的孩子，充满着人情与人性，充满着艺术家热爱生活、钟爱生命的真情。而艺术中的人情与人性正是艺术真正的魅力所在。艺术家只有在创作中动了真情，在艺术中显现出人性的光辉，艺术才能具有历久常新的魅力。
　　韩美林的艺术，正是以他历久常新的魅力吸引着他的观众。

　　In the contemporary Chinese painting scene, Han Meilin is possibly the most versatile, creative and prolific artist. He is equally skilled in painting, calligraphy, ceramics, sculpture, design and handicraft, and he excels in all of these. Few artists can match or outshine him.
　　No matter how many genres and forms his art comes in, how many media he is versed in, and how well he masters the techniques, his art comes from only two sources: real life and tradition. While life is the visual source the real world gives him, tradition is the cultural wealth created by generations of artists and, in particular, folk artists. It is in these two resources that Han’s art has its roots.
　　The art gallery consists of six halls: Introductory Hall, Arts and Crafts Hall, Decorative Painting Hall, Sculpture Hall, Chinese Calligraphy and Traditional Painting Hall and Video Hall.

　　该厅陈列的是韩美林的陶瓷和各类工艺作品——钧瓷、青瓷、紫砂、印染、木雕及民间工艺等。
　　我国传统陶瓷艺术是举世公认、无与伦比的，也是中国古代灿烂文化的一部分。韩美林设计的瓷器有杯、盘、瓶、碗、壶等多种形制，其中以挂盘、钧瓷和紫砂壶最多。这些独具个人特色的陶瓷作品，既保持了传统工艺的优长，又融入了现代造型的设计理念。
　　紫砂文化源远流长，其中融汇了书法、绘画、雕刻、装饰等自然科学文化的精华。韩美林的紫砂艺术达到了形、神、气兼备，气韵生动，具有强烈的艺术感染力。这里陈列的紫砂壶具有鲜明的造型特征，结构严谨，线面明快简洁，刚柔并济，工艺周正，营造了气韵素雅深沉的民族气质。
　　韩美林对丰富多彩的民间艺术更是情有独钟，不仅在他的艺术作品中广泛吸纳，还对其中的许多品类（如布艺、木雕、刺绣、印染等）进行再创造，为民间艺术锦上添花。

　　This hall showcases Han Meilin’s designs of cultural logos and various crafts: Jun porcelain, colored glazes, boccaro ware, prints and dyed work, wood carving and folk arts and crafts.
　　Chinese traditional ceramics, as part of Chinese splendid ancient culture, is universally recognized and unsurpassed. Han Meilin’s ceramic design includes porcelain cups, plates, bottles, bowls, pots, and so on, of which, hanging plates, Jun porcelains, and boccaro pots are the primary items on display. These uniquely designed crafts, deeply touched by the artist’s personal color, retain the advantages of traditional Chinese art technology and also integrate a philosophy of modern modeling design.
　　Boccaro teapot culture has a long history, which combines the marrow of natural science and culture, including calligraphy, painting, sculpture, and decoration. Han Meilin’s boccaro teapot art integrates the elements of shape, style, and spirit, with strong artistic appeal. The boccaro teapots displayed here possess distinctive shapes, strict structures, concise lines, mixed beauty of strength and gentleness, and delicate techniques, showing a traditional Chinese beauty - deep and elegant.
　　Han Meilin has a special fondness for colorful folk art as evidenced not only by its wide application in his works, but also by his re-creation of some art forms, such as the traditional Chinese stuffed tigers and dyeing, adding a new dimension to the folk art.

　　该展厅陈列的主要是韩美林另一类纸面作品：用白板笔画在卡纸上的速写、装饰画以及文化标志设计。
　　“速写”作品来自生活和严肃的构思活动，对生活形象一丝不苟观察入微；创作形象上的大胆取舍更是层出不穷。想象力相当丰富，尤其对青年学生，在创造力和联想力等方面，启发性的演示，更是显示了画家的独创的见解。
　　装饰画多用各种彩笔来完成，优美的造型、夸张的装饰风格、类似民间艺术的鲜艳色彩，使这些幅面不大的作品充满了孩童般的天真和民间艺术的意趣。他自称是“陕北老奶奶的接班人”。
　　韩美林还参与过许多国家级项目的设计，如北京奥运会的吉祥物福娃、申奥会徽、国航航标等。

　　On display in this hall are Han Meilin’s paper-based artworks: sketches and decorative paintings drawn with whiteboard markers on hard papers, and cultural logo designs.
　　The creation of “sketches” is based on real life and careful planning, as well as on a close observation of the images in life. The arrangement of different elements is also varied. The rich imagination’s enlightening influence in creativity and association, particularly to young students, especially shows the artist’s unique opinion.
　　Han’s decorative paintings are created with various colorful whiteboard markers. Their graceful shapes, exaggerated décor and bright colors specific to folk art fill those small-size artworks with child-like naivety folk-art fun. He calls himself “the successor of the old grandmas of Northern Shannxi province.
　　Han Meilin has participated in many important national project designs, such as Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Mascots Fuwa, the Olympic bid logo, Air China logo, etc.

　　在韩美林的纸面作品中，国画和书法是其主体，也是其艺术风格最为突出的部分。
　　在这些作品中，最常见的是题材是动物和人物。在造型上，无论人物和动物都不是刻板地写实，而是加以适度的夸张和变形，并赋予装饰的意趣和水墨特有的韵味。
　　韩美林笔下的国画在继承传统的基础上，加以创新，具有独特的艺术风格。 在艺术构思上，韩美林追求新、高、雅；在绘画风格方面，手法清新、含蓄、洒脱，苍劲雄浑，独特的绘画风格形成与他的个人气质，生活经历，美学思想与艺术实践密切相关，同时也深受时代和传统艺术的影响。
　　书法是韩美林艺术中一个十分重要的方面。他的书法主要包括两个部分，一是那些由“颜体”演变而来的正楷，一是与他的装饰风格浑然一体的篆书。他的正楷坚实厚重、刚正挺健，最能体现他的精神和人格力量；他的篆书婀娜多姿，变化多端，又正好昭示出他的艺术灵气。两者相加，可以说是阴阳互补，刚柔并济。
　　韩美林还从甲骨文、古陶文字以及金文中收集了几万个难以考辨其音、义的文字构成他的《天书》。《天书》就是从视觉和造型的角度对中国古文字所做出的独特阐释。《天书》是文字、是书法、也是绘画。

　　Among all of Han’s paper-medium artworks, Chinese painting and calligraphy dominate. They stand out in his artistic style.
　　In these works, animals and human figures are his major motifs. In the composition of animals or human figures, he never takes a rigid approach. He tends rather to stretch and deform them, and make them suitable for decoration and the ink-and-wash technique.
　　Han Meilin’s ink painting carries on the tradition but also makes many new creations. In artistic layout, he displays innovation，nobility and elegance; in painting style, he is very fresh，implicit，free and composed. His unique painting style is closely related to his own personality, life experience, aesthetic opinions and artistic practice, as well as the great influence of time and traditional art.
　　Calligraphy is an essential component of Han’s art. There are two forms: one is a variant of the Yen style of regular script, and the other is seal script that blends well with his decorative style. His regular script is solid, straight and upright, which reflects his own spirit and personality. His seal characters are graceful and changeable, which mirror his artistic inspiration. Together, these two styles complement each other and combine firmness and flexibility.
　　Han has also created A Book from Heaven based on his collection of tens of thousands of characters from the inscriptions on ancient oracle bones, ceramics and bronze objects. Their pronunciations, meanings and structures are hard to trace. A Book from Heaven is about inscriptions, writing styles and paintings.

　　就韩美林雕塑作品的规模而言，他喜欢在两个极点上延伸，大到几米、十几米乃至几十米的室外雕塑，小到巴掌尺度的小品，他都乐此不疲。当作品达到一定的规模，会以其崇高、壮美之气势，博大深厚之内蕴给人以心灵的震撼。因此，没有一定的规模，不会产生这样强烈的视觉效果。
　　这些作品不仅在规模上让人为之震撼，同时也让我们看到了以韩美林为代表的具有中国文化特色的装饰性雕塑自成体系。韩美林的智慧在于他没有被现实主义雕塑法则所束缚，在他的雕塑作品中，消化、吸收、融合了中国古代装饰艺术的规律，借鉴了古代艺术中的图案造型和表现方法，并把这些因素放大成属于自己的形象符号，创造了一种具有现代形态的独特的审美风格，让人们在面对他雕塑作品的时候，不约而同地将作品呈现的装饰趣味作为欣赏的一个要点。
　　展厅内展出的还有一些户外大型雕塑作品的小样，观众可以发挥想象，这些作品在它们所属的巨大的公共空间内，成为天外之物而又融入到具体的环境之中，我们可以从中看到他驾驭巨构的能力以及作品本身所展示出的宏大气象。

　　In terms of size, Han tends to move between two extremes: large works ranging from a few meters to several tens of meters, and small ones as liitle as a cup or saucer, or the palm of a hand. He never tires of creating. When it comes to a sizable piece, it can be breath-taking with its nobility, grandeur and magnitude. Without size, there would not be such a striking visual effect. Han has created many large scale outdoor sculptures, but on display here are only those that this space can accommodate. Nonetheless, visitors can catch a glimpse of this ability to master large pieces and the immensity those artworks manifest.
　　All these works are not only astonishing in scale, but also show that decorative sculptures with Chinese cultural features as represented by Han Meilin’s works, have established their own system. Han’s work is not bound by the realistic sculpture rules. His works absorb and blend the rules of Chinese ancient decorative art and draw the pattern styles and expressive techniques of ancient art; as a result, he enlarges all of these elements into his own symbols and creates his unique aesthetic style with modern features. Viewing his sculpture works, all visitors take the decorative effect of the sculpture as an important point to appreciate.
　　Here in this hall are some small inversions of giant sculptures; the visitors can fully image how those giant sculptures perfectly fit into the wide-open spaces in which they are located.

　　这个展厅是通过影像引领大家走进韩美林先生的艺术与人生。
　　该厅放映的影像资料主要分为两部分，一部分是展示韩美林先生的艺术创作过程，一部分是记录韩美林先生不平凡的人生经历。大家可以在这个空间里立体地感受韩美林，感受韩美林先生的人格魅力，感受韩美林先生的艺术才华。
　　韩美林先生2岁丧父，祖母和母亲是他生命中最重要的两位女人，在她们的引领下，小韩美林12岁参军，17岁以优异的成绩考入中央美术学院，本应前程似锦的他却在文化大革命十年浩劫中因莫须有的罪名被害入狱长达4年零7个月，狱中被打断了腿、挑断了手筋……然而这些曲折与磨难并没有让韩美林先生屈服与抱怨，他在他的人生字典中抹掉了“苦难”二字，只将美好的艺术呈现在人们面前。如他所说：“人生美好，把美留住！”
　　炽烈的爱国情怀和狂热的追求让韩美林先生难以在艺术上停下脚步，几十年来他以不间断的劳作和创造向世界传递着他的美、传递着他的爱、传递着他的快乐。

　　In this hall visitors are given a view into Mr. Han Meilin’s life and his art through the videos.
　　There are mainly two topics of the videos. Some record Mr. Han’s uncommon life experiences and the others display the processes of his artistic creation. In this three-dimensional space, you can see Mr. Han’s artistic talent, feel his personal fascination and understand him much better.
　　When Mr. Han was still quite young, his father went away and the boy was brought up by his mother and grandmother. Under the guidance of these two most important women in his life, little Han joined the army at 12 and was admitted to the Central Academy of Fine Arts when he was 17 years old. No one would have thought that such a promising man would suffer so many difficulties afterwards. During the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, he was wrongly jailed for nearly 5 years. In prison, his legs were broken and tendons were cut off. However, Han did not yield to those tribulations. Instead of complaining, he eliminated bitterness from his life philosophy and only presents the most beautiful things to the people. Just as what he says, “Life is so beautiful, let’s make it last forever!”
　　His blazing patriotism and ravenous pursuit of art makes it impossible for Mr. Han Meilin to stop producing his art. He will always pass his beauty, love and happiness on to the world with his uninterrupted work and creation.

　　“一把草值钱在智，两块泥千金靠巧”。
　　韩美林先生艺术创作的灵感深深扎根于民间。几十年来，他带着学生们开着“艺术大篷车”从东到西、由南到北，足迹遍及祖国各地，“头顶音乐，脚踩文学”，不断挖掘中华民族民间艺术的有益元素。韩美林先生的上万件作品无不流淌着民间艺术的丰厚养分，无不蕴含着五千年华夏文化的深厚底蕴。
　　我们知道韩美林先生为了回报养育他的人民，长期以来并不出售艺术作品原作，而是将大部分的艺术作品捐献给了国家机构，陈列在艺术场馆，供公众欣赏观摩。但，为了让更多的人能有机会感受他的艺术之美，在北京韩美林艺术馆的艺术品商店里，您可以购买到由美林先生亲自设计并授权开发的艺术收藏品，诸如生动可爱的布老虎、传神的生肖雕塑、优雅华美的钧瓷器皿、开卷大美的天书------，“将韩美林艺术服务于人民”正是这间艺术品商店的重要使命。

　　“A bunch of grass can be valuable after skillful weaving; two globs of mud will be worthy through dexterous molding.”
　　Mr. Han Meilin’s art creation is deeply rooted in Chinese folk art. He and his students have driven their “Art Caravans” all around the country for decades, from east to west and south to north. They consistently tap the elements of all kinds of traditional Chinese folk art, such as music (the most abstract art) and literature (the most concrete art). His tens of thousands of artworks absorb life from colorful Chinese folk art as well as contain profound five-thousand-year Chinese culture.
　　It is known to all that Mr. Han Meilin has not sold original artworks for a long time. To requite the people, instead, he donated most of his artworks to the government and exhibits them in art galleries for the public to enjoy. In order to enable more people to have the opportunity to appreciate Mr. Han’s beautiful artworks, we opened the Artworks Shop in the Beijing Han Meilin Art Gallery. Here, visitors can buy souvenirs designed and authorized-developed by Mr. Han, such as the lovely cloth-tigers, vivid animal sign sculptures, sleek Jun Porcelain pots, and elegant A Book from Heaven, etc. As a little window to the public, the Artworks Shop will make Han Meilin’s art available to the people.

韩美林先生的艺术创作跨越了书画、陶瓷、雕塑与艺术设计等不同专业门类，做到了真正意义的艺术风格与表现语言的跨界与融合。韩美林先生的设计作品包括平面设计、陶瓷（日用）的设计、织物饰品设计等众多类别，设计馆展示了其中较为重要的作品，均为国际、国家级的重要设计项目，如北京2008年奥运会吉祥物“福娃”、申奥标志“太极推手”、“中国国际航空公司”凤凰徽记等。
韩美林先生的艺术设计，坚持其一如既往的艺术追求与创新精神，自然地将各种形式的表现语言与不同的媒介载体完美结合，体现了各种不同的功能与审美意味。他的设计作品在创新中坚守传统，娴熟运用民间艺术与装饰艺术的同时也关注现代审美与设计方法，形成其独有的艺术设计风格，许多作品成为中国现代设计史上不可或缺的重要符号与里程碑。
新增的设计馆还特别展示了韩美林先生为中国国际航空公司引进的波音777-300ER新机型所作的机舱整体内饰设计，采用了“体验区”的特殊展陈形式，无论是座椅的面料、地毯的纹饰，还是灯光照明，都还原真实的机舱环境，在身临其境之中体验大师的艺术手笔，感受中国文化之博大精深与艺术创新之勃勃生机。
韩美林的艺术设计立足中国传统文化，植根对生活的深刻体悟、体现了艺术创新与文化传承的关联与融合。

紫砂是中华民族传统工艺的代表，因其生动古雅的艺术造型和庄重深沉的文化气息，而被人们视为拱璧。韩美林先生笃爱紫砂的文人气质，创造了一系列紫砂作品，其数量之众多、品类之丰富、造型之精准、装饰之美雅、内涵之广博，被誉为“美林壶”。
韩美林先生设计的紫砂壶以工艺美术为根，以传统文化为源，以书法绘画为媒，形成了独具特色的“美林壶”艺术。“美林壶”的造型，源于传统经典紫砂作品，并融入其绘画、书法、岩画等艺术语言。韩美林捏制紫砂犹如运笔，吸收各门类艺术作品的创作规律，使我们感受到潜藏其中的多种艺术的综合之美和深厚的人文意蕴及时代气息。
韩美林先生在紫砂艺术方面的传承与发展，完成了紫砂艺术从传统形态到当代的转换，拓展了紫砂艺术的美学。

手稿忠实地记录了作者创作的全过程，是作者创作方法、思维火花的真实展现。手稿馆将韩美林先生的书法、陶瓷、山水、紫砂、岩画、布艺等大量珍贵的手稿集中在此展示，为观众回放韩先生艺术作品的创作过程，深刻读解艺术家在创作中的心路历程。
“搜尽奇峰打草稿”，从这些密密麻麻的纸张、大大小小的形象探索和辗转反侧的形体动作中，更能窥见艺术家的内在品质，不倦的追求和探索的精神。韩美林先生之所以取得令人瞩目的成就，不乏天分，但更重要的是日积月累的陶养和持之以恒的功底。
该馆汇聚了韩美林先生所涉猎艺术门类的部分创作手稿，他的成幅作品无不是从这里生发出来，他的所有作品都可以从这里找到蛛丝马迹，这里是他创造的根据地、发源地、大本营，也是他的练兵场，是他滋生生命形象的温床。

“艺术之始，雕塑为先，此最古最重要之艺术。”韩美林先生从上世纪80年代开始从事雕塑创作以来，为众多城市创作了许多著名的雕塑作品，其中韩美林先生的城市雕塑作品创造了中国城市雕塑在体量、质量、数量上的多项记录。
韩美林先生的城市雕塑具有强烈的个人风格和语言样式，他借鉴了古时青铜器纹样以及民间纹饰，创造了全新视觉经验的同时，也颠覆了固有的雕塑审美定式，在城市雕塑中形成了传承中国文化精神的典型代表。他的作品注重装饰性和唯美情调，是对美好生活执着追求和无限爱恋的集中体现。他的作品体量巨大，充满视觉张力，而又与周边环境和谐相处，体现了艺术家的人文关怀。
韩美林先生城雕作品主题涉猎广泛，尤其偏爱动物题材或以母爱为主题的形象表现。他善于通过人与动物的联系以及由此提纯人性之善、之美，宣扬一种亲和、友爱、和平的美善理念，实现从动物向人文、从复杂向单纯的终极回归。
韩美林的城市雕塑丰富了城市雕塑的形态，建构并代表着世界城市雕塑中的中国样式，为中国当代雕塑创作提供了一个成功的范本。