Masterstrokes of age-old culture | The Star

DELIGHT in brushstrokes of the Silk Road and the charm of the South Seas at an exhibition featuring traditional Chinese ink paintings by 26 artists.

Themed “Integration Harmony: Silk Road Fine Arts International Touring Exhibition for Renowned Chinese Painters”, the exhibition is being held at the China Cultural Centre in Kuala Lumpur until tomorrow.

Centre director Han Ning said the exhibition, supported by the China National Arts Fund, showcases the beauty of Chinese ink art while providing an opportunity to deepen mutual understanding between Malaysian and Chinese artists.

“Traditional Chinese ink paintings carry the legacy of a thousand-year-old civilisation,” Han said during the launch of the exhibition.

“Meanwhile, Malaysia’s multicultural coexistence is a living embodiment of the ‘integration and harmony’ spirit, in line with the exhibition’s theme.

“We look forward to meaningful interactions between participating artists and their Malaysian peers and audiences.

(From left) Ding, Wei, Zeng, Siri, Baktiar, Han, Prof Suzlee, Bao, Sun and exhibition curator Liu Shufei at the launch of ‘Integration Harmony: Silk Road Fine Arts International Touring Exhibition for Renowned Chinese Painters’ exhibition. — Photos: ONG SOON HIN/The Star

“May the poetic charm of ink art and the tropical essence of South-East Asia inspire one another,” she added.

A total of 134 artworks, both online and offline, are being displayed at the exhibition.

Also present were Cultural and Arts Publishing House Co Ltd interim director, editor-in-chief and senior editorial reviewer Siri Guleng and Institute of Chinese Painting deputy director Zeng Sankai.

Additionally, artists Ding Ding and Wei Dezhang from Chinese National Academy of Arts’ Institute of Chinese Painting and Expressive Painting Institute, and National Art Gallery director of media and arts development division Baktiar Naim Jaafar were at the event.

National Academy of Arts, Culture & Heritage Faculty of Fine Art dean Assoc Prof Suzlee Ibrahim, Shandong Painting Academy director Sun Qi and artist Bao Hongbo from China Democratic League’s Institute of Expressive Painting and Central Academy of Painting were also present.

After the launch, Zeng led guests and visitors on a walkabout around the exhibition and explained the concepts behind some of the artworks.

The exhibition is open to the public from 10am to 4pm at the centre, located at Menara Bangkok Bank in Jalan Ampang.

Prior to Kuala Lumpur, the exhibition toured Sri Lanka and is scheduled to be held in Cuba.