'My Asian Home' exhibition features children's artwork in Shanghai

The opening ceremony for the international children's painting exhibition, My Asian Home: A Date with Shanghai, was held at the China Welfare Institute Children's Palace on Friday. The exhibition is hosted by the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, in celebration of its 70th anniversary this year.

The exhibition showcases 350 artworks created by children aged between 5 to 15 from 10 Asian nations, including China, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Turkiye and Uzbekistan, selected from a pool of more than 2,000 submissions.

The collection will be open to the public in two phases. Starting Aug 9 through Sept 1, the exhibition will be hosted at a pop-up space near the south entrance of Shanghai Library East. It will then relocate to the plaza of the China Welfare Institute Children's Palace from Sept 2 to Sept 30.

The opening ceremony was attended by consular representatives from various countries and nearly 40 delegates from partner organizations, alongside the young award-winning painters.

Prior to the official proceedings, guests toured the gallery. Children from different nations also gathered to paint smiling faces around the themes of peace and friendship. The collaborative artworks were subsequently mounted together on a single wall.

Indrananda Abeysekera, president of the Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation, lauded the initiative. He emphasized that such exchanges provide a vital platform for children to connect through art and share their unique worldviews.

"Through their paintings, we can see their hopes for a peaceful world," Abeysekera said, noting that several works depicted aspirations for economic prosperity and social stability. He advocated for expanding the initiative, suggesting that "similar exhibitions could be held in other countries, allowing more people to hear children's voices and creating more opportunities for young people to connect across borders."

Among the participants was 10-year-old Ngan Rou Xi from Malaysia, whose piece, The Blooming Garden, artfully merges iconic flora and landmarks, such as Malaysia's hibiscus and Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower. She expressed particular admiration for a traditional Chinese painting by a local child—a style she noted is rarely seen in Malaysia.

The trip marked her family's first visit to Shanghai. Her father, Zen Ngan, recounted their visit to the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, where they were struck by the diversity of Chinese animation, including distinctive paper-cutting and ink-painting styles.

"Such international art exchanges give children exposure to different artistic traditions, broaden their horizons, and build their confidence," he said.

For Abeysekera, the exhibition also offered another glimpse of a rapidly evolving Shanghai. Having first visited China in 1988 and traveled to the city more than 20 times since, he reflected on the major changes he has witnessed, particularly in infrastructure, quality of life, and international engagement.

Shanghai has created more opportunities for young people from around the world to showcase and develop their skills and gain a better understanding of the world, he added.

Xu Feiyi contributed to this story.