Chinese Artist’s Ink Paintings Exhibited in Chicago

Chinese Artists Ink Paintings Exhibited in Chicago

A solo exhibition of ink paintings by a Chinese artist opened at the Art Institute of Chicago on March 11.

The exhibition， titled “Cosmoscapes： Ink Paintings by Tai Xiangzhou，”showcases 14 pieces of Tais artwork， including horizontal and vertical scrolls， screens and album leaves.

“His ink paintings bridge ancient artwork of the Song and Yuan dynasties with contemporary artistic practice，” said Tao Wang， chair of Asian Art and curator of Chinese Art at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Tais selections will be displayed throughout four Asian galleries. Among them， two large series of paintings are displayed in the famous Ando Gallery. One is titled “Immortal Landscape of Dreams and Imagination” with the depiction of “asteroid-like rocks floating in vaporous mist against a background of mountainous forms.”And the other is titled “Parallel Universes，” in which Tai represents the idea that “multiple universes exist simultaneously.”

Born in 1968 in Yinchuan， capital city of northwest Chinas Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region， Tai later studied calligraphy， preservation of Chinese traditional painting， and graphic design. His works have been collected by private collectors and many museums in the United States. The Art Institute of Chicago first acquired one of his works called “Celestial Tales” in 2015.

Wang said Tai is able to transform “solid objects into different forms by using traditional media such as silk， ink， paper， and brush.”

“We hope the exhibition will open the door for Americans to better understand the long history of Chinese art and the depth of Chinese civilization，”Wang said. The exhibition will continue till September 20.

Chinese-English Dictionary of Weiqi Terms Published in Beijing

The Peoples Publishing House and Chinese Weiqi Association jointly announced the release of the Chinese-English Dictionary of Weiqi Terms in Beijing on February 19.

The dictionary contains 643 entries throughout six chapters： “Moves，” “Techniques，” “Common Phrases，” “Shapes，” “Rules，” and “Proverbs.”The contents include the Chinese term with characters and pinyin， the English term， definition， an explanation， and a diagram.

According to the Chinese Weiqi Association， the compilation of the dictionary started in 2013 and took seven years to complete. A trial version of the dictionary was first released at the World Weiqi Summit in Rizhao， China in 2019 and was well received. This dictionary is the first one of its kind to be published at the state level in China， and will serve as an important tool and bridge for promoting Weiqi culture.

“As a spiritual symbol of Chinese culture， as well as an internationally recognized public product with positive effects， Weiqi has special requirements in terms of language. It has its own way of thinking， terminology paradigm， and method of communicating. An important aspect of the Chinese Weiqi Associations goal is to promote a unified and standardized Weiqi language，”said Lin Jianchao， chairman of Chinese Weiqi Association.

Interactive Panda Museum Opens in Chengdu

A giant panda-themed museum offering visitors an interactive experience opened to the public in Chengdu， the capital city of southwest Chinas Sichuan Province on March 3.

Surrounded by huge touch screens and meticulously-designed settings， the Chengdu Giant Panda Museum provides an immersive experience while demonstrating various interesting facts about the precious species of giant pandas including their history， habits， and the measures China has taken to protect them.

The museum， spanning an area of 7，179 square meters with seven exhibit sections， has been built by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Visitors can access various information pertaining to giant pandas by tapping on the screen and being guided by an animated panda.

Scenarios reproducing pre-historic environments where giant pandas first emerged are also part of the presentation.

The museum aims to increase the general publics understanding of giant pandas and other wild animals， and enhance public awareness of the ecological environment and animal protection.