advertisement
If you are an art lover, or if you are interested in the exchange of international ideas as well as in innovation, culture, and creativity, then you absolutely must check out the Graduation Exhibition of Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). When it comes to where to go to experience great art, it may be easy for some people to overlook art schools in favor of the more well-known museums, galleries, and other institutions, but art enthusiasts, experts, and talent-spotters alike know that schools are very often the birthplaces of talent – places where genius is nurtured, and where we can witness the most real and unbiased art there is.
Artists are often not discovered, appreciated, or understood until later in their careers, but it is at this early stage in their artistic maturation where we are able to witness all of the ideas and possibilities that percolate in a young artist’s mind, and where we are able to see their rawest talents, truest impressions, and purest seeds of potential. We tend to deify the prodigies of the past, such – the Picassos, Rembrandts, Van Goghs, and Michelangelos – but we often forget that even these great masters only became great through learning from great teachers, being exposed to other great artists, and exploring their own identity, style, and place in the infinite world of art.
"Goose," a mobile album by Geng Xinyue, integrates photography, felting art, and digitial art
As an artist myself, I was thrilled to visit the exhibition and experience all of the cutting-edge ideas and creativity on display. As you arrive in the vicinity of CAFA, you can feel a sense of buzzing excitement in the air, and an intoxicating pulse of energy and creativity all around. Indeed, it’s difficult not to be inspired even before you set foot on location!
The first piece, by Du Yimei from the Fine Art Department, features butterflies and is a fantastically colorful, engaging, and vibrant display. I love that the artist found such a unique and creative way to engage with and explore her subject, while using the provided space to its fullest potential. The butterflies are made from organic materials and have been incorporated into the art on the wall as well as flying overhead and onto the wall opposite the piece.
Du was sure to make full use of the display space provided
Liang's piece is abstract but highly detailed
Bee keeping season is in!
The 2021 CAFA Graduation Exhibition was originally going to run until today, May 7, with online viewing available after that. But with the success of the exhibition, the opening period has been extended until May 28! But whether you go in person or view the exhibition online, you are in for something very special. The online exhibition is enhanced by short videos from the artists and their teachers, and the nature of the platform really allows you to experience the art in a wonderfully unique way. Many categories of art are represented, including fine art, spatial design, 3D design, fashion design, and visual communication.
READ: Tired of Cookie-Cutter Blockbusters? Watch Classics Old and New at China Film Archive
Images courtesy of CAFA IFC and artists Jin Baichen, Geng Xinyue, Du Yimei, Liang Lei, and Xie Huanjian
advertisement