Art lends color to ideals

Wang Qijun paintings of campus scenes capture the spirit of Peking University

Jordan Schneider, an American student, was excited to see his image in a recent oil painting on display in an exhibition held at Peking University.

In the painting, two Chinese students are introducing a mountaineering club to the sophomore majoring in Chinese and showing him how to join the club using a smartphone.

The painting is so true to life that his wound from a surgical operation to remove a benign tumor in his right hand is visible, Schneider said.

It was one of 19 oil paintings on display at Peking University last month.

The exhibition was one of the important components of the 15th Peking University International Culture Festival, said Wu Zhipan, former vice-president of Peking University, at the exhibition's opening ceremony.

All the 19 artworks on display were by Professor Wang Qijun of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts after he was invited to be an overseas visiting scholar at Peking University in 2015, he said.