Join us for a glimpse into one of the world’s most ancient and dynamic cultures. At ‘Ancient Arts in Contemporary China’ Art Exhibition, renowned Chinese art masters will gather in Cambridge to share their expertise and craftsmanship, showcasing the highlights of living Chinese traditional arts to Cambridge audience.

Artists participating:

1. Aiqin Cao is titled ‘Master Ceramic Artist’ and ‘Chinese First Craft Master’. She comes from a long line of well-known Jingdezhen ceramic artists. Her great grandfather, Huowang Cao, was recently dramatized as a main character in the Chinese TV series ‘Great Porcelain’. Having apprenticed in China and studied Western art in the UK, she uses specialised techniques, colours and textures to form her distinctive styles. Her current showpieces are comprised of landscapes, flowers, birds and folklores. Her art can be found in many prestigious collections including The Louvre and the national museums of Thailand and Denmark.

2. Professor Wenyue Li also comes from a long line of well-known Jingdezhen ceramic artists. Engaging in the porcelain art for over 40 years, Wenyue Li is one of the most renowned Masters of famille-rose porcelain and grisaille painting decorated w/gold paint. Professor Wenyue Li is the Dean of Jingdezhen Famille-rose Porcelain Art Research Institute and has been titled National Master of Arts and Crafts, National Craftsman of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Jingdezhen Handmade Famille-rose Porcelain, the ‘International Master of Ceramic Culture and Art’ by UNESCO, and has been awarded Special Expert Allowances by Chinese central government.

3. Professor Yanzu Li, PhD supervisor at the Academy of Arts & Design Tsinghua University, is one of the top Chinese experts in Art History teaching and research, the leader of the Design Art & Arts and Crafts Disciplines in China, and also a well-known ceramic artist. Professor Yanzu Li has been awarded Special Expert Allowances by Chinese central government.

4. Jiangmin Li is a nationally-recognised master of Chinese Wood Block Printing. Descending from a long line of woodblock printers, Jiangmin Li draws upon his heritage and over 40 years of experience creating beautiful images by wood carving and printing.  Visitors can enjoy such fine art form with insights from the creator himself.

5. Hongming Ge is the founder and design director of Jiuzhangji, a designer silk scarf brand. A graduate from the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, Mr. Ge balances his love of traditional culture with the understanding of modern appreciation. Since 2014, he has been engaged with an ambitious project to produce a new zodiac-themed design every year. His designs from 2014-2018 are recently exhibited in Beijing’s 798 art district.   

6. Mr Jiegen Xu and Mrs Chaoyu Li are a tea-expert couple. They established Hengfu Tea Culture Limited in 1998 (listed on China NEEQ：832453), then later on Love-tea Design & Research Academy and Hengfu Tea Culture Museum. Mr Jiegen Xu has a great passion on Chinese tea-set design and he owns over 80 IP patens. Mrs Chaoyu Li is a senior Tea Assessment Specialist and one of the Chinese top experts on Puer Tea. In 2008, after 10 years’ research and development, they established ‘Dongdao’ tea-set brand which successfully applies ‘Ru Ware’ technology (Chinese: 汝窑, one of the Five Great Kilns and an extremely rare type of Chinese pottery from the Song dynasty) into modern tea culture. ‘Ru Ware’ style Dongdao tea-sets have won numerous national awards and become popular art collections.

Background information

The exhibition is a centre-piece of the 2019 Cambridge Chinese Cultural Festival and will be open to the public for one day only on the 2nd February.

The exhibition is organised by the Cambridge China Centre and Cambridge Chinese Community Centre and will be augmented by ‘The Charm of China’ Concert (11-12am, a special concert of traditional Jiangxi music performed using fine Jingdezhen porcelain instruments), lectures on ancient Chinese arts (pm), and a special film screening (6-9pm). Tickets for these augmentation events are available separately on this website.

Agenda

The exhibition opens to the public at 12pm-6pm on the 2nd February 2019.

Admission is free. Due to the great demand and limited availability, RSVP is required.

As an exciting cap to ‘Ancient Arts in Contemporary China’ Art Exhibition, with support from Filming East Festival, we are presenting to Cambridge audience a unique Chinese film, The soul of Himalaya directed by Yunhui Zeng.

This epic drama is set in the eighth century and features the Bogar tribe, part of the mysterious Lhoba people who live in the forests of the Tibetan Plateau. Disaster has forced them to the edge of extinction and the story follows their attempt to reverse their imminent destruction. All supporting roles are performed by ethnic Lhobas who are real-life herdsmen, farmers or hunters. The film offers a rare glimpse into a Tibetan culture that’s fast disappearing in the face of an encroaching modern world.

The film screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the film’s director Yunhui Zeng.

The Chinese film industry is currently undergoing a bright era of artistic expansion. Chinese cinema audiences are now the world’s largest and perhaps has the keenest appetite for film. While foreign films are popular in China, it has been more challenging to experience Chinese cinema in the West. Join us for a glimpse into what many in Cambridge have been missing.

Background Information

China 2017
Dir Zeng Yunhui
With Phurbu Tsering, Lhak Chong, Shaijikanbin Arbo
109 min
Digital
English subtitles