Co-organized by China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Datong Municipal People’s Government, the Sculpture Art Committee and Children’s Art Committee of China Artists Association, “The 4th Chinese Youth Sculpture Exhibition” opened at the China Sculpture Museum in Datong on July 17 and it will remain on view till August 15. A total of 5386 pieces/series of works by 3352 young artists from over 120 cities were submitted, which breaks the record for entries in number and scale. There were 480 works on the shortlist selected by a jury of 13 members and 456 of them attended the exhibition.
The Group Photo of Honored Guests
View of the Opening Ceremony
View of the Awarding Ceremony
Experts from the Jury of “The 4th Chinese Youth Sculpture Exhibition” gave the Nomination Award to the young competitors.
Leaders of Datong Municipal Government gave awards to the young competitors.
The large number of submissions required a higher standard for selection by the jury. Chi Hao, Associate Professor of the School of Fine Arts and Director of the Sculpture Department at Shandong University of Arts, and Member of the Sculpture Art Committee of China Artists Association, talked about the three aspects of the evaluation criteria: the thinking ability, independent creation and sculpting capability.
Yang Wenhai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee of Central Academy of Fine Arts, delivered a speech.
Zhai Yongqing, Deputy Mayor of Datong gave a speech.
As for the presentation of the exhibition, Hu Quanchun, Deputy Director of the Sculpture Department at Central Academy of Fine Arts expressed that the principle was to respect every creator as each work represented the creator’s passion and wisdom. The children’s works directly reflected their diversified observation of the world and brought refreshed inspiration to spectators.
Jin Chang’an, Deputy General Secretary of Children’s Art Committee at China Artists Association
There are fairy tales, family life, mountains and oceans, the animal kingdom and figures chasing dreams in the exhibition. Full of creative ideas, these works reflect the amazing inner world of children.
Lyu Pinchang, Deputy Director and Secretary-General of Sculpture Art Committee of China Artists Association
Lyu Pinchang, Deputy Director and Secretary-General of Sculpture Art Committee of China Artists Association, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute believed that, children were concerned about the destiny of people, their creativity and ingenuity, their wisdom and reflections on social phenomena were beyond adults’ imagination.
Tang Yao, a member of the Jury, art critic and curator, Director of the Creative Research Department of China Sculpture Institute, announced the honorary list nominated by the Jury of “The 4th Chinese Youth Sculpture Exhibition”.
Sui Jianguo, a jury member of “The 4th Chinese Youth Sculpture Exhibition”, Professor of Central Academy of Fine Arts
Sui Jianguo, a jury member of “The 4th Chinese Youth Sculpture Exhibition”, Professor of Central Academy of Fine Arts and Deputy Director of the Sculpture Art Committee of China Artists Association, spoke highly of this exhibition. Although the children have not received professional training, they were honest and they completed their works with their most persistent and primitive hands. For him, the goal of this exhibition was to cultivate children to perceive perceptual skills, spatial thinking, three-dimensional thinking, as well as the capability of grasping and using various materials.
Exhibition View of “The 4th Chinese Youth Sculpture Exhibition”
Fan Di’an, President of Central Academy of Fine Arts, stated in Preface for the exhibition, “Young artists have integrated their comprehension of art, life and the world into their creations. They unfold their unique imagination and also reflect on the nature of youth as well as the pursuit of art by this generation. Through rich sculptural forms, they create images of youth.” What needs to be done currently is to protect the innocence and creativity of children as much as possible, so that these seeds of imagination will grow into soaring trees in the future.
There’s a statue of Bodhisattva known as the “Oriental Venus” in the Yungang Grottoes with a history of 1,500 years in Datong. These exquisite sculptures are so breathtaking as a part of our cultural heritage that has suffered hardship that they consequently impress spectators. Currently Datong is constructing a “capital of sculpture” and exhibiting inherited traditions. They also struggle to discover sculptural creations by contemporary artists so Datong can be seen by more people. In addition to this exhibition, the Municipal Government of Datong is cooperating with China Artists Association and Central Academy of Fine Arts to establish the “Datong International Sculpture Biennale” and the “Zeng Zhushao Sculpture Art Scholarship” and they signed a strategic cooperation agreement for ten years. 2021 marks the first year of the subsequent ten-year commitment.
Zhang Wei, Director of the Sculpture Department of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Deputy Secretary-General of Sculpture Art Committee of China Artists Association, served as the curator for the exhibition.
Zhang Wei, Director of Sculpture Department of Central Academy of Fine Arts, expressed that, “CAFA will comprehensively promote social support and academic control from three perspectives: public art, traditional art and contemporary art, so that Datong which is known for its ancient sculptures can be integrated into modern sculptures, further bringing about a new appearance for this ancient capital."
The List of Awarded Works
Best Works:
Guo Zixuan, Wu Lingrui, Zhang Diwen
Best Creations:
Nie Jiajun, Feng Jianzhe, Liu Yitong, Bao Chunjie, Li Yufei, Wang Zhongyang, Qin Jian, Yang Kaiyi, Zhang Haodong
Best Sculpturing Works:
Mi Zixuan, Meng Yanbing, Wu Jinxuan, Tian Zhongyi, Chen Ziyu, Du Enjing, Huang Chuwen, Gong Xiangwei, Sun Hongkai
Best Original Works:
Ma Ziyang, Li Yuxuan, Hou Yitao, Liao Xinya, Chen Junyu, Chen Xuanzhen, Yang Yuchen, Li Xinmeng, Xiong Yiyi
Nominated Works by the Jury:
Zhou Yicen, Zheng Zhijie, Sun Zerui, Chen Jihe, Cui Lunyuan, Zhang Qianqian, Ren Zhaoxuan, Zhi Jing’an, Zhao Yukun, Han Jianyu, Guo Yixuan, Gao Wenhua, Wu Muzhi, Li Zihan, Fei Shangshang, Wang Jingyu, Wei Shiyu, Cui Chenrui, Liu Hanyuan, Tong Hua, Li Guofu, Yu Haochen, Yu Zhuoping, Bi Cheng, Teng Yan, Gu Jing, Lu Lu, Weng Ruoxi, Xu Hanyue, Liang Xindan
Courtesy of the organizer, translated and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO
