The exhibition Made in England – Art Works and Designs by British Artist John Atkin and His Students opened in Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum in Jiangsu province on December 19, 2013.

The two-month show, organized by Uestar and the museum, will display 46 works by John Atkin and 20 young artists from Loughborough University.

“The British know a lot about things ‘made in China,’ and I hope the show can help Chinese people know more about ‘made in England’,” said the professor.

John Atkin is a professor in the art department at Loughborough University. In 2003, he made a 27-ton sculpture named Strange Meeting, which now sits in the Olympic Park. He became honorary academician of the Beijing Academy of Arts on invitation from Professor Wu Weishan, president of the Chinese Academy of Sculpture.

The exhibition focuses on John Atkin’s influence in teaching and research on his students’ work, which take a variety of forms such as oil painting, sculpture, installation, painting and movies.

“The works show the achievements made by special care students who have been working hard experimentally over the past three years. The ability of thinking independently and solving problems came from many trials. The process is important to everyone. My learning comes from the process of making mistakes and correcting them,” said John Atkin.

Atkin believes perspective, logic and method will differ greatly under different backgrounds. These elements make up the meaning of cultural communication.

“Suzhou is a city of history. If I have the chance to make a sculpture for Suzhou, I will focus on the history,” Atkin said.