Students of the Central Academy of Fine Arts have entered the ever-lively Beijing art market prior to graduation this year, with Academy Lights, the Academy's largest annual event, kicking off last Friday.

The event includes an exhibition featuring selected works by students who are to graduate this July, an online auction of the exhibited works at www.guaweb.com, a forum and face-to-face meetings with art dealers, critics and curators.

The exhibition, which runs until Saturday at the academy's art museum, features traditional Chinese paintings, oil paintings, prints, sculptures and murals by 130 of the academy's 2004 graduates.

The show reveals that this year's graduates are seeking a balance between tradition and creativity, while in the 1990s the bulk of the students were striving to be "avant-garde," said Dai Zhihe, a renowned professor with the academy.

However, some critics have said that the works of the academy's 2004 graduates are limited in subject matter, with the students trying to cater to the tastes of the market.

All of the works will be displayed for sale until June 1 on the China Guardian Auction Co website.

To date, many of the works have been neglected by bidders, mainly because some students have set too high a price for their works, according to the academy's professors.

The "Academy Lights" event was first held last year to improve employment opportunities for the academy's graduates, said Dai.

Insiders said many graduates of the academy have chosen to be independent artists rather than seeking employment as art teachers.

(China Daily May 26, 2004)