International artists capture beauty of North Bund
Artists pose with their paintings at the opening ceremony of the exhibition on Thursday.
A painting exhibition began on Thursday on the North Bund in Hongkou, showing over 160 watercolor and oil paintings from leading artists from both China and abroad, featuring the waterfront region.
The exhibition themed "In Love with the North Bund" is open to the public free of charge on the 36th floor of the 320-meter-tall Sinar Mas Plaza, also known as the White Magnolia Plaza, which is the highest building on the west bank of the Huangpu River.
The organizer of the exhibition invited both domestic and foreign artists to create paintings showcasing the iconic landmarks, cultural heritage and stories of the North Bund since 2022.
The exhibition is divided into three sections, maritime scenery, people and artifacts of the riverside region.
These artworks will also be exhibited at other Hongkou landmarks, such as the Broadway Mansion, China Securities Museum, Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum and the League of Leftist Writers Museum.
One of the pieces titled "Waves and Winds at North Bund" was created under the collaborative efforts of more than 10 Chinese and international artists, including the Australian watercolor master Joseph Zbukvic and Italian painter Igor Sava.
Many global artists were invited to create paintings featuring the North Bund waterfront for the exhibition.
"The North Bund is a place full of vitality, inspiring anyone who visits to pick up a paintbrush," Sava said.
Chen Shining, a member of the oil painting art committee of the China Artists Association, showcased his new work titled "Shanghai Postal Museum" at the exhibition.
He said each visit to Shanghai brings new inspiration, especially the juxtaposition of old and new buildings in the North Bund area, which vividly portrays the city's vigor and poetic charm.
The North Bund is set to become a benchmark for urban development in the new era and a vital hub for new development concepts, said Wu Qiang, director of the publicity department of Hongkou.
It aims to be the "world's reception room" and a "world-class waterfront area with global influence," Wu said.
Historically, the North Bund was a major international cultural exchange port. It served as the departure point for diligent Chinese students heading to France for work and study and also sheltered nearly 20,000 Jewish refugees during World War II, he added.
The exhibition will become a significant cultural exchange event for Hongkou. The artists not only depicted the historical anecdotes of the North Bund, but also a magnificent vision of the future, Wu said.
A visitor photographs one of the paintings.
If you go:
Title: International Exhibition of Watercolor and Oil Paintings: In Love with the North Bund
Site: L-level of office building, Sinar Mas Plaza
Admission: Free
Duration: Through October 21
Address: 555 Dongdaming Road
Public Transport: International Cruise Terminal Station of Metro Line 12
An artist poses with his painting featuring the North Bund waterfront
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