Art beat:Art

Poly Auction's forthcoming Spring Sale of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art will cover such themes as early 20th century oil painting in China, figure painting, realistic paintings of the Xinjiang autonomous region, and ancient furniture.

Some big names in the Chinese contemporary art scene will again be highlighted this year. For example, the spring auction promises to provide the very best of Wu Guanzhong's work - some for the very first time, such as The Lotus Pond, painted in 1997. It is one of the largest ink paintings by Wu and has been in every major exhibition and publication.

In the sector of modern Chinese painting, the most important piece is Landscape in Red by Li Keran, who painted seven paintings under this theme. In 1999 and 2000, two of them were sold for 4 million yuan and 5 million yuan, successfully stimulating the art market after the financial crisis in Asia. The Landscape in Red presented by Poly Auction is the largest and most delicate piece among this series and is predicted to become another legend of the market.

The auction is between June 2 and 7. All the artworks to be auctioned will be displayed in a preview exhibition. Visit www.polypm.com.cn for the detailed schedule.

May 30, until one day prior to each sale. National Agriculture Exhibition Center, 16 Eastern third Ring Beilu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6509-6688.

Focus on talents

Ten young artists who won the Focus on Talents Awards last weekend are holding a group show at Today Art Museum in Beijing.

On display are more than 20 oil and acrylic paintings, pencil drawings, photos, sculptures and installations, which they have created over the past year.

"Unlike older artists, including me, younger artists have shown superb ability in breaking the barriers of mediums and genres to freely express their ideas and feelings. I am happy to see that happening," says painter Chen Danqing, who's also a member of the jury for the awards.

10 am-6 pm, until May 26. Today Art Museum, 32 Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5876-0600.

Creative furnishings

Chinese-born American artist July Chow is holding his latest solo show Tradition and Innovation at the Rose Bud Arts Center in 798 Art Zone in Beijing.

As part of the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival, the exhibition presents some 30 furnishings and installations by Chow, who drew inspiration from Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)wooden furnishings.

The most eye-catching pieces are Ming-style chairs and beds, most of which are made of transparent materials, such as plastics and glass.

10 am-5 pm, until May 26. 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Dashanzi, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8599-1188.

Young migrant artists

Today Art Museum is hosting an exhibition on the works by children of migrant workers in Beijing.

The children, ages 6-14, have produced some 180 drawings, paintings, calligraphic works, shadow puppets, comics, sculptures, paper-cuts, prints and installations.

The nonprofit drive has won support from at least 80 volunteer teachers and professional artists.

10 am-6 pm, until June 1. Today Art Museum, 32 Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5876-0600.

Huang Fushan's debut

Veteran ink artist Huang Fushan from Sichuan province is holding his first solo show at the Rongbaozhai Art Museum in Beijing.

He will bring 50 of his latest works, including calligraphic scrolls, colored ink paintings of ancient figures and depictions of immortals from myths as well as Buddhist and Taoist classics.

The 63-year-old is also noted for his vivid depictions of horses.

10 am-5 pm, until June 2. 19 Liulichang Xiejie, Hepingmen, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6303-5279.

Lays of the land

More than 60 landscape paintings bring nature to life at an exhibition by Xu Qinsong, a master of Chinese ink landscape art. The show will be held at the Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou May 29-June 24.

Xu is known for his majestic landscape paintings. More than 10 of the exhibits at the Guangzhou show are giant ones that are about 3 meters long.

Using only black ink, Xu's works are able to present subtle effects of light and shadow. He also creatively includes lithograph skills in his ink paintings.

9 am-5 pm, May 29 to Jun 24 (closed on Mondays). Hall 1-4, First Floor, Guangdong Museum of Art, No 38 Yanyu Lu, Er-sha Island, Yuexiu district, Guangzhou. 020-8735-1468.

Structured cityscapes

Today Art Museum of Beijing is presenting paintings by Italian artist Roberto Bosco, who is acclaimed for his highly structured style.

Bosco uses bold and textured colors to illustrate Europe's cosmopolitan life. He was born in Rome and later moved to Paris, and has long studied urbanites. He says he loves metropolises, because they reflect people's desires and values in simple ways.

The exhibition is included in the Oltre Confine art project also staged in MoMA in New York.

10 am-5 pm, until May 29, Today Art Museum of Beijing, 32 Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5876-0600.