The art of sports

Discover the essence of poetry in motion at a special exhibit at the National Art Museum of China. Colors and Olympics, a massive exhibition coinciding with the Beijing Games, showcases more than 700 paintings and sculptures by artists from 81 countries.

The styles are as varied as the sporting events in the Olympics themselves.

For instance, Polish painter Janusz Plota depicts athletes in motion against a simple background of bright hues in his painting Olympic Light, which conveys the raw energy and dynamism of athletic competition.

Meanwhile, Chinese artist Liu Qinghe's painting of swimmers beside a pool uses loose watery strokes and soft earthen colors to give the modern painting an antique look, expressing the timeless cross-cultural appeal of athletics.

Other exhibit highlights include Lhagvasuren Gomb-Ichin's Expressionist-style depiction of a Mongolian polo match; Sun Xiuting's portrayal of Tang Dynasty ladies and Greek nymphs playing Chuiwan, an ancient Chinese sport similar to golf; and Jian Xiangdong's wood sculpture entitled 2008 Dragon Dance, inspired by a traditional dance from southern China.

Address: 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district
Open: daily, 9 am-5 pm (last tickets sold at 4pm), until Aug 12
Tel: 6400-6326/6401-7076

(China Daily 08/08/2008 page26)