NEW YORK, June 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The opening ceremony for Feng Shaoxie's Maritime Silk Road Oil Painting Exhibition took place at United Nations headquarters at 6 p.m. on June 21. "Maritime Silk Road" large oil paintings were exhibited, including Reminiscence - Huangpu Ancient Port, The Last Voyage of the Götheborg in 1745 and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which vividly depict the various customs and cultures along the ancient trade route.
The collection of oil paintings, on an around-the-world exhibition tour under the auspices of the Department of Culture of Guangdong Province, the Foreign Affairs Office of People's Government of Guangdong Province, the Guangzhou Daily, and Guangdong Art Institute, presented by ICN TV NETWORK and UCT International Center, had been previously shown at the Guangzhou Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Thailand in Bangkok, the Zheng He Duo Yun Xuan Art Gallery in Malacca City, Malaysia, the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center and the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre. Today, with the stop at UN Headquarters, the exhibition enabled visitors from all over the world to gain a closer understanding of the legendary Maritime Silk Road.
Mr. Feng, born in 1964 in Puning, Guangdong Province, has received the designation as a national Level-1 artist, the highest designation possible for an artist according to the Chinese government's system for allocating such recognition. His paintings are on display at the National Art Museum of China, the National Museum of China, the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution and the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the Library of Congress in Washington as well as the National Gallery of Thailand in Bangkok, in addition to several other famous museums around the world.
Mr. Feng is known for his acute mind, his in-depth knowledge and understanding of current affairs and his expansive world view. In 2003, he hosted an exhibition at the National Art Museum of China, titled The Chinese Cultural Market - Feng Shaoxie Art Exhibition. In 2006, Pigeons in the Middle East - Feng Shaoxie's Oil Painting exhibition was held at the same venue. From 2009 to 2011, the Century-old Guangzhou - Feng Shaoxie's Oil Paintings series drew large audiences during the collection's travels to the Royal Opera House in London, Hong Kong City Hall, the National Library of China in Beijing and the Library of Congress in Washington. Similar expectations are in store for the Maritime Silk Road oil painting exhibition as this newest collection travels a similar path.
As one of the oldest routes for seaborne trade in the world, the Maritime Silk Road had a deep and lasting impact on both economic and cultural exchanges that took place between the East and the West, and was a major contributor to the transformation of human civilization through the centuries. Based on the history of the Maritime Silk Road, Feng's collection of works focusing on this key trade route gives us a chance to recall and understand the importance of its contribution to history.
"I hope the visitors can develop a better understanding of the long and brilliant history of the ancient trade route through my paintings, and feel the excitement and the breadth of vision that lies behind the creation of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road," Mr. Feng said at the opening ceremony.
"It is an excellent opportunity for Chinese artists who would like to express the potential and the progress that is expected from the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese President Xi's plan for the development of the two modern trade routes, helping to raise the visibility and expand the understanding of Chinese culture on the world stage," Feng added.
"The paintings and other works of art by Chinese artists depicting the country's role in global maritime trade are rather sporadic," noted Feng. "Finding the best way to represent the magnificent history of the Maritime Silk Road using artistic means has been a tough challenge." The artist chose these historical relics as the main objects of his works as a way to remind us of the huge import that trade along this route had throughout history.
"New York is not only the seventh stop of the exhibition's overseas tour, but also a stop with significant historical meaning," said Feng. "The headquarters of UN as the venue vastly enhances the exhibition's ability to present Chinese culture and tell China's story to the entire world."
Feng also revealed that the Maritime Silk Road collection would travel to the National Museum of China in the middle of August.
