ThefiveartistslookingforinspirationinMauritiusCOURTESYPHOTOSWangZhaorememberstheexactmomenthereyescaughtthefirstglimpseofAfricathroughtheairplane’swindow.
“Astheplanebeganitsdescent,apieceofblueoceaninthemiddleoftheAfricanlandmassappearedthroughtheclouds:ItwastheenormousLakeMalawi,whosecrystal-clearwatersglistenedunderthesun’srays,surroundedbylargeexpansesoflushgreenforests,”saidWang,a32-year-oldwomanwhograduatedfromChinaCentralAcademyofFineArtsin2009andhaspaintedeversince.
Athersideintheairplanewerefourfellowartists,invitedbytheMinistryofCultureofChinaonatriptoAfrica.For11daysfromJanuary9to19,thegroupoffiveartists,twowomenandthreemen,visitedthreecountries-Malawi,TanzaniaandMauritius,wheretheyexchangedideaswiththeirAfricanpeersandtankeduponinspiration.
ButastheplanewascirclingaboveMalawi,thethoughtsofthenervousgroupwerefarremovedfromartisticinfluencesandinspiringencountersawaitingthemontheground.Atenseatmosphereprevailedinthesmallaircraft,recalledWang,thegroup’syoungestmember,asitwasthefirstvisittoAfricaformostofthem.
ThiswasthecaseforFuXuming,44,ProfessoratChinaCentralAcademyofFineArtsandTsinghuaUniversity’sAcademyofArtsandDesigns.
HetoldChinAfricathatwhenhefirstreceivedtheinvitehehaddoubtsasitseemedsodistantandunlikelythatthiswouldhappentohim.Despitehisoriginalmisgivings,hetooktheplunge.ButwhenthewheelsoftheplanefinallytouchedtheAfricansoilaftermorethan20hoursofflight,realityhithomeandhegotcoldfeet.Wouldtheirfirststop,Malawi,knownasthe“warmheartofAfrica,”givethemawelcomeaswarmasitsreputationsuggested,wonderedFu.
Backintime
OrganizedandfundedbytheNetworkofInternationalCulturalinkEntities(NICE),aninstitutionunderChina’sMinistryofCulture,thepurposeofthistripwastoenableChinesepainterstohaveapersonalexperienceofAfrica,andthenshowcaseittotheircompatriotsthroughtheirart.
Thepaintings,inspiredandcreatedasaresultofthisjourney,willbeexhibitedinMianyangCity,SichuanProvince,onApril15,2017,aspartoftheBeltandRoadSceneryExhibition,jointlyorganizedbytheSichuanInstituteofCultureandArtsandNICE.
ThisactivityispartoftheChina-Africapeopleto-peopleexchangeplan,whichwasincludedintheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC)JohannesburgActionPlan2016-18,aimedatincreasingexchangesandmutuallearningbetweentheAfricancontinentandChina.Withthisinmind,theartistsbegantheirjourney.
AccompaniedbymembersofthelocalChinesemedicalmissioninMalawi,theydrovearoundthecountry,startingfromLakeMalawibeforeheadingfortheZombaMassif,amountainoftheShireHighlandsinsouthMalawi.
Already,theChineseartistsbegantodrawsketchesandroughdrawingsthatwouldlaterguidetheirworkbackinChina.Seeingmanybicyclesandthesimplelifeoflocals,theyfoundMalawitostirupunexpectedfeelingsofnostalgiaforabygoneera.LiuKai,48,AssociateProfessorattheSchoolofFineArtsofShandongUniversityofArts,describeshisexperienceinMalawias“goingbackintime.”FuXumingshowinghispaintingWANGXIANGAsketchdrawnbyZhangChuninMalawi“Timeseemsdifferenthere.ChangesinChinasincethelate1970shavebeensogreatandtimetheregoesbylikeboltsoflightning,whiletimeinMalawiseemedsloweddown,”hetoldChinAfrica.
ZhangChun,47,ViceChairmanoftheShandongProvinceOilPaintingSociety,hadsimilarfeelings.“Malawihasgivenmethefeelingofgoingbackintimeandinspace.Seeingtheseoldcitiesandtowns,thelayoutofgoodsinold-schoolstoresandsoon,IfeltIwasgoingbackinmypast.However,returningtothecapital,withitsconventioncenter,itshugehotels,itsadvertisements,waslikereturningtomodernity.Ilovetheseconflictsandcontradictions,andthiswillbereflectedinmyworks,”hetoldChinAfrica.
AsforWang,itisthesmalldetailsoflifeinMalawithatinspiredherthemost.“ThetraditionalMalawihouses,madeofearthandthatch,therusticroofsandbraidedfences,thosearethingsthatyoucannotfindelsewhere,”Wangsaid.“Thesethingswillnotexistforever.LikeChina,Africawilldevelopandthesesmalldetailsoflifewilleventuallydisappear.”
Avibrantculture
OnJanuary12,thetroupesetfootonthetarmacatJuliusNyerereInternationalAirport,inDaresSalaam,Tanzania.Underascorchingheatwave,theyvisitedavillageknownforitsartoftingatinga,auniqueformofTanzanianpaintingdatingbacktothe1960s,madebycolorfulenamelpaintonstretchedmuslinandcanvasanddepictinganimalsandscenesfromAfricanlife.Theartformisabighitwithtourists.
Fu,aspecialistinguohua,traditionalChinesepainting,fellinlovewiththenaive,childlikeanddirectstyleoftingatinga.
“Thetingatingaareshallowindepth,buttheircontentisrichintypicalAfricanelements,”heexplainedtoChinAfrica.“ThestrongpointofAfricanartisthatitisundoubtedlythemostancientartformofhumanity.IthaspreservedtheprimalaspectbetterthanChineseart,andthisisitsgreatestcharm.Itexpressesthingsdirectlyandstraightforwardly,withouttryingtodescribethem.ThischaracteristicissimilartothetraditionalChineseartof‘freehandpainting,’andopensuppossibilitiesforexchanges.”FuXuming’spaintingofaTanzanianwomanAlthoughtingatingaisnotatraditionalAfricanartformassuch,sinceitappearedonlyrecently,itsstyleisimpregnatedandwarm,creatingavibrantandattractiveproduct,accordingtoWang.“ThisAfricanstyleinspiredPicasso,andalsoinflamedthecreativepassionofourgroup,”shesaid.
Thefiveartistsareinspirednotonlybythecreations,butalsobytheTanzanianartiststhemselves,forwhomcreationisamatterofsurvival.
ChenCheng,38,painterandemployeeofNICE,explains:“Thelifeofthetingatingacreatorsisnotascolorful,humorousandrelaxedastheirpaintings.Thesepaintingsarelikethem:theyshowapositiveandoptimisticattitudetowardlife,despiteallthedifficultiestheymightencounter.Theystrivetomakebeautifulcolorsandcheerfulrhythmshinethroughthecracksofahardanddifficultlife,andIthinkthatiswhatimpressesthepublic.”
Aculturalmosaic
OnFebruary15,thegroupagaintooktheairandheadedtotheislandofMauritius,about2,000kmoffthecoastofAfrica.Afterasomewhatturbulentflight,thefiveartistssetfootonMauritiansoil,relievedandcharmedbythetranquilityoftheisland.
Onarrival,theyvisitedCapMalheureuxanditsemblematicred-roofedchurch,theSugarCaneMuseum,andaChinesetemple,erectedinthe19thcenturybydescendantsofimmigrantsfromsouthChina’sGuangdongProvince.
Thepeacefulcoexistenceandmixofmultipleculturesandpeopleontheislandcreateamosaicburstingwithcharm.InspiredbytheseculturalexchangesbetweenIndians,Europeans,Chineseandindigenouspeople,Chen,seizedthechancetosketchthelocals.
NowbackinChina,shehaspaintedasetoffourpaintingsshowingthediversityofcultureinthecountry.“IaminterestedinthelivesofordinarypeopleinMauritius,theirlivelihoods,theirhistory,”Chensaid.
AmongthepaintingsistheportraitofaserenelyexpressiveoldIndianwomanintraditionaldress.Thepainting,explainsChen,symbolizesthehappinessoffirst-generationimmigrantstoMauritiuswhocannowenjoylifeafteryearsofhardwork.AnotherpaintingdepictsacoupleofyoungwomenofChineseandAfricanoriginsrespectively,takingastrolltogetherinMauritius’Chinatown,asymboloftheisland’sstrongculturaldiversity.
“Thesepaintingsseektoexpressthestoriestoldbythesecharactersofdifferentagesandappearances,andtoshowthatpeoplefromdifferentcountrieswereabletobuildacomfortablelifeinMauritius,”ChentoldChinAfrica.
ApaintingbyWangZhaoofMalawivillagelifeAtingatingashopinTanzaniaHeadsandsuitcasesfull
Aftersuchashortbutverybusyjourney,thefiveartistsreturnedhome,theirsuitcasesfullofmemoriesandtheirheadsfullofinspiration.InChina,theytransferredtheirimpressionsontocanvas,usingtheirencountersandhastilydrawnsketchesassourcesofreference.
ThekineticenergyofAfricanart,accordingtoWang,iswhatmadethestrongestimpressiononher,andshesaysshenowwantstointegratetheseinfluencesintoherfuturecreations.
“IliketheprimalnatureofAfricanart,becauseitisnotcompletelymature,butitcontainsalotofstrength.Itresemblesworksoftheverybeginningsofmodernism,withnatural,mysterious,specificelements,”WangtoldChinAfrica.“Africanartremainsinimitable,anditsrhythmisdefinitelydifferentfromthatoftherestoftheworld.”
TheChinesecaneasilyacceptandacknowledgethisformofart,asartistsfromChinaandAfricafacesubstantiallysimilarchallenges,towhichartislikelytobringinsightfulanswers,accordingtoWang.
“FacedwithindustrializationandmodernizationfromtheWest,bothChineseandAfricanpeoplemustfindtheirownwayofcopingwiththeseshocksandlivinginpeacewiththemselvesandwiththeoutsideworld,”saidWang.
Likewise,ZhangbelievesthatexchangesbetweenartistsfromChinaandAfricacanopendoorstonewideasandhelpfindsolutionstothequestionsthatarefundamentalforbothcivilizations.
“Howcanwemodernizewithoutrenouncingourpast?Howcanweconserveouruniquenesswhilefullydevelopingourcapabilitiesandintegratingperfectlyintomodernity?ThesearethecommonchallengesfacingChineseandAfricanarts,”explainedZhang.
Fu,whowasperhapsthemosthesitanttoembarkonthisjourney,nowfeelsitwasabsolutelyworththeeffort.Asamatteroffact,heisconsideringgoingbackagain.HenowfeelshehasgrownthroughthisexperiencebecauseitenabledhimtoexploreAfricanartmoredeeply,openingdoorsleadingtoacompletelydifferentartisticworld.
“SeveralgreatWesternpaintershavebeeninfluencedandinspiredbyAfricanarts,”saidFu.“Onthistrip,Iunderstoodwhythiswasso.Fromanevolutionaryperspective,Africaisthecradleofhumanity,andwecansaythesamethingfromanartisticpointofview.”
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