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A drawing by 17-year-old Wei Wei, who has won the first prize at a teenage and kids painting competition in Hong Kong organized by Renmin University\’s Xu Beihong School of Arts. [CNR.cn]

The late Chinese painting master Xu Beihong was primarily known for his Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds. He was also one of the first Chinese artists to articulate the need for artistic expressions that reflect a new modern China at the beginning of the 20th century.

To remember the maestro and encourage young painting talents, Renmin University\’s Xu Beihong School of Arts has organized a nationwide teenage and kids painting contest. And the prize winners in the Hong Kong S.A.R. have just been released.

During the second running of the event, the competition in Hong Kong lasted ten months. Hundreds of local youngsters thronged to the Central Library on Sunday morning. They were there to attend the closing ceremony, and enjoy the award-winning works.

Some 600 paintings were selected from 12-thousand candidates, put forward by the students of over a hundred primary and middle schools in Hong Kong. Among the works were various forms of fine arts, including sketching, printing, oil painting and cartoon drawings. Many of them were considered positive and inspirational.

The son of Xu Beihong, Xu Qingping, who is also the director of the Xu Beihong Art Institute, was on hand to reward the winners during the ceremony.

(CCTV December 16, 2008)

http://www.chinacourse.com

The art scene in Beijing was very active at the end of the Year of the Rat. Many art shows were held at galleries across the city. They aimed to celebrate the Year of the Ox, and the thirtieth anniversary of China\’s reform and opening up policy.

A painting by He Yuanming. [Photo: cctv.com]

The exhibition of touring US painter He Yuanming has opened in Beijing. More than 40 art works are on display, including the paintings of his forte, the ox and horse.

He, a native painter in Sichuan won his first provincial awards in the 1980s. In 1995, he held his first overseas exhibition in Singapore. In 1996, He had his debut art show in Los Angeles. He then stayed there, and became a big part of the Los Angeles art scene. In recent years, He frequently held art shows back in Sichuan. A symposium on his works was also held at Peking University.

He\’s ink and brush paintings often highlight bright colors. They are much more creative compared to the subtle colors often found in traditional Chinese paintings. He has published many collections of his art works, including his thoughts and ideas on ink and brush painting.

A painting by He Yuanming. [Photo: cctv.com]

An art exhibition recalling the past three decades of China has opened at the Three Gorges Art Gallery in west Beijing. One hundred art pieces are on display, including calligraphy, ink and brush painting and seal carvings. Thousands of art works were submitted and only one hundred were selected. The show reflects the creative force of Chinese artists during the past thirty years especially in the last decade.http://www.gtrip.net

Song Yonghua

Emerging artist Song Yonghua may not have begun creating art until nine years after graduation, but his first set of work clearly indicates he is on the way to being a star of tomorrow, as many experts predict.

Song graduated from Shanghai Theater Academy in 1998 but only started to paint in 2007. Now, his signature big landscape oil paintings are on display at 1918 Art Space.

The landscapes generally feature tranquil mountains, valleys and rivers, but not painted in a realistic way. His subtle touches for snow-capped mountains make them seem calmer while his twisted strokes make canyons more magnificent than real.

It is Song\’s belief that to do a job simply to make money is meaningless. Instead he wants to \”leave\” something behind, which is why he began to paint.

Like most artists, Song tried the techniques of masters in his early works but gradually changed from people to landscapes as his subject matter.

In one aspect, Song is typical in that he does not like too specific a subject matter, such as a certain person or a story. He prefers vague and subtle or even unexplainable topics because they do not \”block\” one\’s mind.

Out of a love for nature and in an attempt to be as pure as possible, Song finally found that only unreal landscapes can best represent his emotions.

While a fast painter, he actually spends quite a lot of time thinking before he picks up a brush. The thinking and preparation phase is in fact much longer than the working process.

http://www.lersus.com

Ben Lee and Eric Lee show to the media Beijing Opera costumes
and their designs during the preview of the Exhibition of Beijing
Opera Art and Design in Hong Kong in South China on Thursday,
January 10, 2008. The twin brothers born into a family of Peking
Opera virtuosi brought to Hong Kong their collections of years-old
Peking Opera costumes and their own designs incorporating opera
facial make-up and costume to modern fashion designs. The
exhibition will be staged from Jan. 14 to Feb. 17 in Hong
Kong.?

A model displays a years-old Peking Opera costume during the
preview of the Exhibition of Peking Opera Art and Design in Hong
Kong in south China on Thursday, January 10, 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2008)

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City Harbin in north-east China plans to \”grow\” two money trees
at a local money museum as a new tourist attraction.

Pictured in this undated photo are workers
hanging ancient copper coins onto a money tree, a new tourist
attraction of Harbin\’s money museum in north-east China.

Harbin Daily reported that two money trees, expected to grow to
2.6 meters in height, will be adorned with a total of 3,000 ancient
copper coins.

The tree will replicate the appearance of a legendary tree that
shed coins when shaken, a relic unearthed from the Han Dynasty (206
BC – 220 AD).

(CRI.cn October 11, 2007)
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An exhibition on Tibet history opened?in Beijing?on Wednesday, aiming to present visitors with a full landscape of the autonomous region\’s past and present through pictures and exhibits.
 Tibet Expo: True situations of Tibet\’s past and present

Yang Jing, State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC) director, told the opening ceremony, \”Tibet is an inalienable part of China and an important member of the big Chinese family; Tibet\’s old feudal serfdom system fundamentally robbed Tibetans of their human rights and prevented economic and social progress.\”

\”Objects and pictures presented here are a forceful witness of the region\’s historical change.\”

The exhibition, \”Tibet of China: Past and Present,\” features two parts: the History of Tibet and Feudal Serfdom in Old Tibet, and New Tibet Changing With Each Passing Day.

\”From 160 objects and more than 400 pictures, the audience will see the backwardness and darkness of the old Tibet as well as the development and progress of the new Tibet,\” said a senior SEAC official.

The free exhibition is jointly sponsored by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council Information Office and the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is at the Cultural Palace of Nationalities through July 25.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2008)

http://www.lersus.com

An exhibition entitled \”Lovis Corinth: A Feast of Painting\” kicked off in Vienna\’s Belvedere on Tuesday evening, presenting twelve classical oil paintings and two printmakings of the fast painter of the 20th century.

Corinth is so far the only worldwide famous painter from East Prussia. Experts commented that his works are slightly rough and full of wildness, but colorful and energetic. Not belonging to any trend of art of his age, his works have imposed significant influence on German Expressionists in the 1920s, thus are considered the best paintings in the 20th century.

Belvedere also displays other dozens of fine oil paintings of other artists at the same exhibition. Tuesday\’s opening ceremony attracted about 100 art lovers.

The exhibition will conclude on July 19.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2009)

http://www.qb-china.com

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, watched across the world on August 8, blends Chinese culture into a hi-tech show. [Beijing?Review]

The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on August 8 stunned the world, with its fascinating and glamorous art performance and visual effects. Many who witnessed the spectacular said it was like an epic movie, and of course, like many of today\’s blockbusters, it owed much to the use of cutting-edge technology.

The ceremony, featuring huge LED (light-emitting diode) screens, eye-catching lighting systems and inspiring multimedia video shows, involved dozens of advanced technologies, including materials for spaceships, according to Yu Jianping, head of the technology group for the opening ceremony, who led a 500-strong team of experts.

\”The technology used at the Games\’ opening ceremony was some of the most complicated in history,\” Yu said, describing the gala as a perfect combination of advanced technology and great originality.

For example, at the top of the National Stadium where the opening ceremony was held is a 147-meter-long, 22-meter-wide LED screen, one of the biggest in the world. There was also a 36-meter-long, 30-meter-wide structure, with a total of 11 separate elevated platforms.

From the elevated platform to the video system, the creation team had worked hard to ensure that the whole ceremony went without a hitch.

\”Since all of the facilities were completed on June 10, we had only two months to tackle any problems,\” said Yu, who is also the deputy designer of Shenzhou 7, China\’s third manned spacecraft that is expected to enter orbit in October.

\”We are living in a hi-tech time and I think to present China\’s ancient culture through high technology is a more effective way to attract the young generation,\” said Zhang Yimou, Chief Director of the opening ceremony and a renowned Chinese filmmaker.

On Yu\’s initiative, state-of-the-art technology was introduced into many aspects of the ceremony. Apart from the huge LED screen and elevated platform, the globe that rose up at the end of the art performance was another highlight.http://www.pq365.com