At 15:00 on November 15, 2014, “This is us: Exhibition of the Students from the International Department of the Fine Arts School Affiliated to China Central Academy of Fine Arts” opened at the Teaching Exhibition Hall of CAFA, and it was part of the series of exhibitions to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Fine Arts School Affiliated to the China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Sun Hongpei, Deputy Party Secretary of CAFA, Lv Shengzhong, Head of the School of Experimental Art, CAFA, Jin Hua, Director ofAdministration of International Cooperation in Running Schools, CAFA, Ma Gang, President of the Fine Arts School Affiliated to China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Branch Secretary Xie Yan, Vice President Zhang Junjuan, Assistant to the President Hu Xidan, Zhang Weizhi, former President of the Fine Arts School Affiliated to China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Chen Qi, Teaching Director of the International Department of the Fine Arts School Affiliated to China Central Academy of Fine Arts, as well as Chinese and foreign teachers of the school. The students and their parents attended the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Chen Qi, Teaching Director of the International Department of the Fine Arts School Affiliated to China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Sun Hongpei, Deputy Party Secretary of CAFA initially addressed the opening ceremony, and he said that, in terms of international education, the Fine Arts School initially gathered the efforts of a large number of people from the trial stage, exploration stage to the current large-scale teaching and learning. Lv Shengzhong, Head of the School of Experimental Art, CAFA affirmed and praised the exhibition, he said he was surprised by the level of students from the International Department of the Fine Arts School of CAFA, and was also more confident with the independent admission of the School of Experimental Art in future; Jin Hua, Director ofAdministration of International Cooperation in Running Schools, CAFA, believed that students were the key in running schools, in the process of their work, they would take into account what the student needed, what the studentswould learn in the school, what kind of life style the students presented when they studied abroad, all of which were the focus of the Administration of International Cooperation in Running Schools; Zhang Weizhi, former President of the Fine Arts School Affiliated to China Central Academy of Fine Artswhoalso attended the opening ceremony,recalled the difficulties in the process of founding the International Department, he said the establishment of the International Department opened a door for the education of the school, playing a positive role; Ma Gang, President of the Fine Arts School Affiliated to China Central Academy of Fine Arts finally spoke saying that, the International Department was a very important part of the Fine Arts School in running schools, it was not only related to the exchange of Chinese and Western culture,but also an important way to broaden the vision of professional teaching, and made the Fine Arts School more international.

Since the Fine Arts School Affiliated to the China Central Academy of Fine Arts was established 60 years ago, it has offered a large number of excellent candidates to the art colleges and universities, greatly impacting on the basic art education in China.Since the International Department was founded, it has gradually built up a set of three-year courses for the international high school of art namely AIP international high school of art, so that the students can grow upcomprehensively. The courses use international teaching methods, and it aims todeliver students to the renowned international art universities, striving through the students’ growth trajectory that is to “go out, and bring back” to promote the internationalized development of Chinese art and art education.With the increasingly maturity of thebasic art educational model of the International Department of Fine Arts School Affiliated to CAFA, the number of the cooperating colleges and universitiesare increasing and the depth of international cooperationisexpanding. Currently, the International Department has supplied about 500 excellent art students with an internationalized vision to more than 10 cooperating colleges and universities from the UK, USA, Australia, Canada and so on, and all the students pass professional interviews.

Throughout the exhibition hall, the huge space assembles more than 120 works including the daily exercises by the freshmen and sophomores as well as the works by excellent graduates from the International Department of Fine Arts School of CAFA, divided into Chinese Traditional Culture Section, Illustration Works Section, Section of Basic Courses of drawings, colors, materials, etc. as well as an Installation and Video Section directed by foreign teachers, trying to showcase the active imagination and potential creativity of the students who are about to enter universities. This exhibition showcases the students’daily exercises and ideas, and also renders the basic teaching quality of the International Department. As the foreword says that, “On the occasion of the Exhibition of the Students from the International Department of Fine Arts School, CAFA, it hopes to build a display platform for the International Department, to share our teaching achievements with the public, to express the youthful, vigorous as well as the artistic attitude of the students. At the same time, it also makes a presentation to CAFA and all sectors of the community, to showcase the new style and features of the teachers and students of the International Department of the Fine Arts School Affiliated to CAFA.”

Text and photo by Lin Jiabin/CAFA ART INFO

Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO