Chongqing - On January 24th, the Luzumiao Art Center in Chongqing's Yuzhong District celebrated a New Year gathering in its traditional architectural area. The event also included a visit to the "Ancestral Houses and Meditations - A Contemporary Art Exhibition inspired by the poetry of William Butler Yeats," displaying over a hundred paintings by contemporary Irish artists.
"Ancestral Houses and Meditations - A Contemporary Art Exhibition Inspired by the Poetry of William Butler Yeats" opened at the Luzumiao Art Center in Chongqing's Yuzhong District. (Photo/Han Bing)
The ongoing exhibition is one of the events commemorating the 100th anniversary of William Butler Yeats' Nobel Prize in Literature, which was held in Beijing and Chengdu before. Yeats is celebrated as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. As a significant figure in Irish culture, he has profoundly influenced Irish literature, art, and culture.
His passionate and sincere love poem "When You Are Old," dedicated to Maud Gonne in 1893, has become widely popular in China, particularly as a piece of popular music.
A century later, poetry and painting are once again intertwined, with over a hundred contemporary Irish artists invited to create paintings inspired by Yeats' poetry. Through a 30x30cm canvas and various mediums, each artist has expressed their interpretation of Yeats' poetry or the insights they have gleaned, creating a symphony of visual and literary resonance.
Some of the paintings in the exhibition. (Photo/Han Bing)
Among these Irish artists are renowned figures such as the dean of the Royal Irish Ulster Academy, Betty Brown, one of Ireland's most outstanding figurative artists; Brian Ferran, the former CEO of the Northern Ireland Arts Council; Ferran Denise, the former president of the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, and Olive Bodeker, a figurative artist once collected by His Highness the former Prince of Wales, King Charles III of UK. The exhibition also features rapidly rising Irish artists like Daniel Chester, Gerry Davis, Susan Dubsky, Peadar Mc Dai, and other Irish artists.
The Philippine Consul General in Chongqing, Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo, representing the consular institutions in Chongqing, congratulated the successful organization of the event and extended New Year greetings. This year, there is hope to collaborate further with the Hong Kong VA Galleries in Chongqing to host more cultural and art exchange activities, opening the "door of Sino-Philippine friendship" and bringing the peoples of the two countries closer together.
The Philippine Consul General in Chongqing, Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo, gave a speech at the event. (Photo/The event organizer)
Since 2021, the Hong Kong VA Galleries have established art centers at Luzumiao and Baolin Yard to facilitate international cultural and art exchanges.
Located in the mother city of Chongqing, the Luzumiao Art Center is in a district that combines the local ambiance with an international lifestyle. In 2024, the Hong Kong VA Galleries hopes to organize a variety of international cultural exchange activities with consulates from various countries in Chongqing, inviting more international artists to visit China, particularly Chongqing.
"This effort aims to assist Chinese artists, especially those from Chongqing, to participate in different forms of art exhibitions and exchanges in various countries, promoting mutual cultural learning between China and the world, strengthening friendly relations, and contributing to the new development of Chongqing," said Vincent L.J. DENG, Managing Director of Hong Kong VA Galleries.
The exhibition opens free to the public and will run until February 27th.
(Han Bing, as an intern, also contributed to the report)