Promoting Cultural Dialogue and Understanding Between China and the Philippines | China Daily | chinadaily.com.cn

A bilateral art and cultural exchange program bringing together Chinese and Filipino artists has promoted mutual understanding, cooperative learning and collective improvement, participants said.

Five Filipino artists were treated to an artistic tour of Liling, Hunan province from Oct 21 to 23. During the three-day field trip for sketching and painting, they drew inspirations from the idyllic scenery, time-honored history and the city’s art-friendly atmosphere.

The tour was part of a two-month bilateral art and cultural exchange program themed “In Harmony with Nature”. The exchange program began last month with five Chinese artists doing sketching and painting on a Philippine island retreat along with five Filipino peers. Their artworks were exhibited in Manila between Sept 28 and Oct 19.

Filipino artist Manuel Baldemor told China Daily art has no national or ethnic boundaries, and Chinese and Filipino artists share the love of nature and the pursuit of aesthetics.

Boundary blurred

He said the bilateral exchange trip enabled the artists of both countries to find common ground and draw them closer at heart, adding that what they had accomplished on the trip were not only the paintings they drew, but also the bridge they built to connect art and culture of the two nations.

Another Filipino artist Jonahmar Salvosa said he has learned a lot from the distinctive styles of art of both sides. Previously, all his knowledge of Chinese paintings had been largely theoretical. The latest trip had given him the opportunity to learn directly from the master Chinese painters, observing their techniques, and collaborating with them in creating artworks.

During the exchange program, the 10 artists jointly created two landscape paintings based on their impressions of the blue seas of the Philippines, and the green fields in Liling.

Salvosa said he learned a lot about the “secrets” of brush painting from his Chinese friends during the time they spent together. He believes it will help enrich his future creations as he has learned the essence of Chinese painting skills that require a fine control of lines and refined execution of colors, which are fundamental to all drawing styles.

Chinese artist Kuku Chai Bu-kuk, who accompanied the Filipino artists in Liling, said she was delighted by the hospitality of her Filipino friends during her stay in the Philippines. She said the interactions have strengthened their friendships and deepened the cultural bonds between the two countries.

The program was co-organized by Bank of China, the Chinese Culture and Art Association, China Daily and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

An exhibition showcasing 50 works of the 10 artists opened in Shenzhen on Saturday. Some of the exhibits were created by the artists from both countries during the exchange trips.

Clicks in art

At the inaugural ceremony, China Daily Asia Pacific Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Zhou Li said it was the third time China Daily had co-organized such art exchange activity involving Chinese and foreign artists since 2015. This year’s event was to raise the public’s awareness of environmental protection and boost mutual understanding and trust between the Chinese and Filipino people.

Similar exchange programs were also held in Thailand and Myanmar in 2015 and last year.

Also at the inaugural ceremony, Florentina Colayco, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, said the exchange program had fostered collaborative spirit and mutual understanding among Chinese and Filipino artists. She called for more such initiatives in future.

Yan Bing, vice-head of Bank of China’s Shenzhen branch, said interaction in art and culture would enable the two countries to draw inspirations from each other while retaining their individual characteristics.

She said the joint exchange program and exhibition marked a good start in forging deeper art and cultural ties between the two countries.

Chinese Culture and Art Association Chairman Zhou Yanzhao said the exchange activity has laid the foundation for civilization communication between China and the Philippines, and contributed to the Belt and Road Initiative. Seeking a harmonious balance between nature and mankind is also a shared characteristic of Chinese and Philippine culture, he said.

bingcun@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 10/28/2019 page4)