Finnish ambassador supports Chinese young artists
- By Wu Jin
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail China.org.cn, April 18, 2014
Oil paintings by young Chinese artists have been hanging on the walls of Finnish ambassador Jari Gustafsson's residence in Beijing since Wednesday, signaling the Scandinavian ambassador's support for contemporary Chinese art.
|
|
|
Jari Gustafsson, Ambassador of Finland to China, delivers a speech on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of an art exhibition, consisting of paintings and photos from Chinese and Finnish young artists, at his residence in Beijing. [China.org.cn / Photo by Wu Jin] |
"We want to give our gratitude to the young artists, by holding these displays to show our support, and give them a chance to exhibit their art," said Gustafsson, who was inaugurated as the Finnish Ambassador to China last autumn.
After discovering Chinese art for the first time in 2008 at the Saatchi Gallery in London, Gustafsson said it was a mind-blowing experience and everything was completely new to him.
"To dive into this kind of culture, we are holding the exhibition so that people can learn more about Chinese artists ," Gustafsson said. The exhibition shows that Chinese art that can be playful or serious, aggressive or subtle, he added.
The exhibition features paintings from five contemporary Chinese artists, including Zhang Yu, Mao Lizi and Di Qing, who have been sponsored by the Chinese Young Artists Project (CYAP), a non-profit project by the Beautiful Asset (Beijing) Art Industry Co. Ltd and the China International Culture Association (CICA).
"China is developing very fast, and is increasingly attracting the world's attention. Today we are very lucky to be able to appreciate these artists' works in the ambassador's residence," said Linda Dong, CEO of Beautiful Asset (Beijing) Art Industry Co Ltd, at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.
"Through their works, we see their talent, their understanding of society and their varied lives," Dong said.
Standing beside her painting, where a dreaming girl is surrounded by swarms of blue fishes, with big eyes and hazy bodies, Di said she never sketches out an outline before she paints. "I just follow the traces of paint from my brush and paint by intuition," she said. Under layers of acrylic colors, her surreal and tranquil paintings reveal her innermost feelings, which she seldom reveals.
"It is much easier to paint than to speak, and I can explore my style with a stronger explosive power," she said.
Di started painting at kindergarten. She believes that her style is changing subtly because her psyche is maturing with age. Pink and light blue are now rarely her colors of choice, instead, she uses red, white and black in her new works.
But to Mirjia Raunio, a Finnish volunteer in China, young people across the world are alike. "They have their dreams and they have their ways to achieve them, they're new and fresh -- they don't have a lot of things holding them back," she said.
The exhibition also features photos from Finnish artists, which Gustafsson said will help Chinese people understand Finnish art. The exhibition, which is scheduled to open to collectors and curators on June 4, will run until mid June.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)