Children's art exchange exhibition opens in London

An art exhibition showcasing children's paintings of China's Jiangnan water town, known for its iconic canal-style architecture, kicked off in London on Saturday.

Titled "From Jiangnan Water Town to The Thames", the exhibition displayed more than 40 award-winning pieces by 35 young artists, encompassing a range of artistic forms such as ink-wash painting, watercolor paintings, calligraphy, and creative arts.

All works are award-winning pieces from the 7th Ink Rhyme Youth International Ink Art Competition, a contest that is open to professionals and amateurs from all over the world with the aim of promoting Chinese traditional paintings.

Since its founding, more than 100,000 pupils have participated in the contest, among which, a large number are overseas Chinese, according to Zhao Meng, curator of the exhibition and organizer of the competition.

Before their display in the UK, Zhao also helped to bring the artworks to Italy, Poland, Germany, France, Hungary, and other countries and regions.

Landing in London this year, the event is based on the theme of Jiangnan water town, located in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, renowned for its bridges, rivers, and ancient buildings arranged along canals. Such towns are generally concentrated in Jiangsu province, Zhejiang province, and in the Shanghai area, which are all in East China.

"The great civilizations in the Jiangnan area grew up around water, while in the UK, the River Thames is also the symbol of the country. We hope that similarities between different cultures can enhance exchanges in the field of art," said Zhao.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is a long scroll of paintings called Twelve Sights of the Yangtze River Delta. This artwork comprises 12 different pieces, each offering a child's perspective of the Jiangnan area.

Qin Qiyuan, one of the creators, said he hoped that visitors can appreciate the uniqueness of the Jiangnan area through distinctive styles. Although his ink-wash painting is more abstract, it did create a harmony with other artworks, said Qin.

For Qin, an exhibition like this serves as a significant learning opportunity. "I see the strengths of other pieces and gradually realize how I could improve myself," he said.

All displayed artworks will be used to raise funds for charity after the London exhibition, according to Zhao, with the proceeds being donated to charitable foundations to support the artistic education for exceptional and underprivileged children.