Dance pioneer Wang Yabin keeps the faith

Pioneering dancer and choreographer Wang Yabin has recently concluded the third full production of her studio, Expecting with Faith. The latest production is a part of the series Yabin and Her Friends, which includes Dancing With You in 2009 and Pursuing in 2010.

While these two dance productions focused on supporting young Chinese dancers, Expecting with Faith highlights an international team, with Chinese-American Zhou Long, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Music, and American Dance Festival instructor and choreographer Mark Haim.

The 27-year-old Wang trained in classic techniques at Beijing Dance Academy and has matured into one of China's foremost exponents of contemporary dance. Her annual performance series, Yabin and Her Friends, aims to provide opportunities for young Chinese dance talents.

Young artist starts national tour in Beijing

Young artist Li Muyao's solo art exhibition tour began on Nov 20 at a gallery in the Auditorium for the National People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

The show presents the singer-turned painter's more than 50 ink figure paintings, depicting historical figures long held as role models, such as Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220) literati Kong Rong (AD 153-208) and Song Dynasty (960-1279) marshal Yue Fei (1103-1142).

The exhibition will tour more than 10 cities in the coming months.

Painting academy marks its 30th birthday

The National Academy of Painting has launched a series of cultural programs to mark the 30th anniversary of its founding.

Highlights include retrospective exhibitions at the National Museum of China, an international forum on Chinese ink art, the launch of a 100-volume catalogue featuring works by veteran artists from the academy and its provincial and regional bureaus.

Conceived in 1981 as a research institute to promote Chinese ink art, the academy has in recent years expanded into a comprehensive body dedicated to research, creation and training in oil painting, print-making, sculpting, public art and design.

Fine art expo celebrates veteran artists

The 2011 Art China Fine Art Expo will run from Dec 9-11 at the National Agricultural Exhibition Hall in Beijing.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture and Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the expo, covering a floor space of 8,000 sq m, will present original works of art from veteran artists, both from home and abroad.

A large number of works are shown to the public for the first time, notes Sha Kezhong, a key organizer.

"All exhibited works either come from the hands of living artists themselves, or from the family members of deceased artists," he added.

A drawing by Akira Kurosawa

Major auction previews lots of Ming and Qing art

Huayi International Auctions is holding an autumn sales preview tour in major cities.

Highlights include large-scale ink paintings by Ming and Qing Dynasty artists, such as Zheng Banqiao (Zheng Xie, 1693-1765); realistic oil portraits by artists such as Chen Yifei, Chen Xi and Wang Yidong; and more than 20 original color drawings by Japanese movie maestro Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998).

All exhibits will go under the hammer from Dec 10-11 at the Convention Center of Dong Fang Hotel in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

Creative industry forum lures international audience

The third Cultural and Creative Industry and City Branding Forum ran from Nov 21 to Nov 22 at Renmin University of China in Beijing.

The event attracted more than 200 artists, scholars, producers and officials from around the world. Major topics include further promotion of China's fledgling cultural and creative industry, cross-Taiwan Straits exchange in arts and cultural fields, new technologies in performing arts industries, and investment in cultural industrial parks at provincial and county levels.