Ba Shi! Artists from Various Countries Gathered in Chongqing for the Art in Chengdu-Chongqing
In June 2023, five artists from the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and Armenia gathered at No.3 Exhibition Hall, ADC Art & Design Centre, Jinshan Ecool, Liangjiang New Area, to jointly present the “Ba Shi – Foreign Artists in Chengdu and Chongqing” art exhibition for the people of Chongqing. The exhibition will last until June 18th and was open for free to the public. Some of the exhibited works would be included in a charity auction to support local charitable organizations.
As one of the themed activities of the “Chengdu Europe Culture Season” hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of Chengdu Municipal People’s Government, the “Ba Shi – Foreign Artists in Chengdu and Chongqing” art exhibition had its first stop at the XU LIAOYUAN modern art gallery in Chengdu from May 26th to June 4.
The exhibition in Chongqing, as its second stop, was jointly organized by the British Consulate-General in Chongqing, the Dutch Consulate-General in Chongqing, and the German Consulate-General in Chengdu, with the strong support of Jinshan Yiku and Huaxia Auction.
The five participating artists, Stephen Ellison and Paul James from the UK, Mafi Espirito Santo from the Netherlands, Torsten Schumann from Germany, and Armen Gevorgyan from Armenia, have been living in Chengdu and Chongqing for a long time.
“Ba Shi” is a dialectal expression of “bravo” in the Sichuan-Chongqing region. The more than 60 exhibited works in this exhibition were based on their experiences of living in China, presenting their understanding of Chinese culture and life and providing a unique perspective on Chinese culture and art.
The creative mediums of the exhibited works include oil painting, acrylic painting, pastel, printmaking, and photography, etc. The concepts of the works range from the bell tower of Sichuan University to the sunset in Yuzhong District, from the Dazu Rock Carvings to the Bronze Divine Tree, from sugar painting to emerald bamboo, covering natural landscapes, figures, architecture, and street life.
It is worth mentioning that one of the participating artists, Stephen Ellison, is also the current British Consul General in Chongqing. Three years ago he became known for rescuing a drowning girl in Zhongshan Ancient Town in Chongqing. But in June of this year, he would step down from his position as Consul General and return to the UK. Over ten of his exhibited works and the Year of Rabbit print White Rabbit created by British artist Paul James with his involvement would be auctioned simultaneously on the “Huaxia Cultural Relic Online” Mini Program of WeChat. The proceeds from the auction would be donated to local charitable organizations in Chongqing, serving as Stephen Ellison’s farewell gift for Chongqing People.
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