CRI听力:Chinese art and calligraphy on display in Canberra

An animated presentation of the scroll Emperor Qianlong's Southern Inspection Tour is seen in the National Museum of Australia in Canberra on April 4, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Fei Fei]

An exhibition of Chinese art has debuted at Australia's National Museum in Canberra. More than 100 objects from China are on display, giving the Australian public a chance to experience the beauty of Chinese calligraphy and painting.

Australians now have the opportunity to take a close look at some Chinese calligraphy and painting thanks to a free exhibition at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.

Julie Spencer is a local artist who focuses on canvas oil painting. She is stunned by the detailed representation of animals in Chinese paintings.

"I'm loving it. I'm really loving it. It's just beautiful. I'm an artist myself. It's just like so natural. Like the chooks. It's just sort of everyday living. It's nice."

Over 100 pieces of Chinese art are on display in the exhibition. Alongside traditional artworks are modern multimedia displays, including a 20-meter-long projection of a scroll that depicts the southern tour of Chinese Emperor Qianlong.

Mathew Trinca, the director of the National Museum, says the layout of the exhibition taps into the different stages of the development of Chinese art.

"The three contemporary artists' work that's on display here connects to the great presentation of the Qianlong scroll through this multimedia piece. In a way, they make a conversation. I think we want to show that these traditions are not simply traditions preserved in the past. They're active in the present," says Mathew Trinca.

Work of Chinese contemporary artists Wang Naizhuang, Xie Yun and Xiao Lang is on display in the National Museum of Australia in Canberra on April 4, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Fei Fei]

Mike Pickering, one of the organizers of the exhibition, explains that because many Australians aren't familiar with Chinese characters, some small touch screens have been installed around the exhibition so that people can try their hand at writing a character.

"It's highly unlikely that people are copying exactly. They may not even create a meaningful piece of calligraphy. But they'll learn to experiment with forms and shapes and the flow and rhythm of doing the script. So they get some appreciation of what might be involved. It's also a great way to make the kids stand still while mum and dad have a look at the complicated stories," says Mike Pickering.

Work of Chinese contemporary artists Wang Naizhuang, Xie Yun and Xiao Lang is on display in the National Museum of Australia in Canberra on April 4, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Fei Fei]

But a lack of knowledge about Chinese characters isn't an impediment to appreciating the artistry of the works on display. Shan Wei is the deputy director of China's national museum. He says that art is a universal language.

"Regardless of what you do and where you're from, there are some parts of us that will connect. We have different ways of presenting things but there are links here and there. In Chinese characters, we can find animals and natural phenomenon. Likewise, animals and natural phenomenon can also be found in Australian Aboriginal bark paintings. So in this regard, we can find something in common," says Shan Wei.

A ceremony was held at the museum for the opening of the new exhibition. China's Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye spoke at the event, where he stressed the importance of cultural exchange in the relationship between China and Australia.

Work of Chinese contemporary artists Wang Naizhuang, Xie Yun and Xiao Lang is on display in the National Museum of Australia in Canberra on April 4, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Fei Fei]

This exhibition is the latest example of cooperation between the national museums of China and Australia. Last year several Aboriginal bark paintings from Canberra went on display in Beijing and Shanghai, and another exhibition will soon be staged in Shenzhen.

The exhibition of Chinese painting and calligraphy in Canberra will run until the end of July.