Silk Road diplomats visit the creative world of Mr. Wu Weishan

   On December 11, 2016, ambassadors and cultural attachés from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Ukraine, Greece, Uruguay, Egypt, South Korea, Lithuania, Mongolia etc. were invited by the Silk Road Cities Alliance and the Chinese Sculpture Institute to the creative world of Mr. Wu Weishan, a world-renowned sculptor and curator of National Art Museum of China, which is located in Culture & Art Street, Gaobeidian, Chaoyang District in Beijing. They have explored the arduous process of the artist's creation, and listened to his description and personal view on the culture outlook expressed by his works, which contain a touch and grasp of humanistic feelings and spirit of art.

Mr. Wu Weishan presented his work "Confucius" to the ambassadors in the exhibition hall

   Among his studio and exhibition rooms with an earthy mud smell, wonderful stories of his sculptures, including a humble “Confucius”, a full of encyclopaedic mind “Lao Tzu”, a “Dialogue” between strong Da Vinci and Qi Baishi, a kind and gentle “Nebula”, a laughing “Mao Zedong”, “Deng Xiaoping” with a firm pace, former IOC President Jacques Rogge with a mettlesome and handsome bearing, a “Childhood” work filled with childishness all over the face and Miao Tzu Lin in “Maiden”, were displayed in a narrative and lively way to the visitors. Whether it is the reproduction of historical figures, or the present character of realism, whether the all-powerful leader, or ordinary women, they were all portrayed as natural as though they were living. The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon once asserted, “Wu Weishan’s sculptures reflect the soul of all human beings”. The Russian National Academy of Arts and Sciences granted the honorary academician and awarded him the highest artistic achievement with Gold Medal, adding that his works “possess a touching strength”.

"Deng Xiaoping", displayed in the studio of Mr. Wu Weishan

   Standing in front of his sculpture called “fleeing”, which is a piece that reflects the Nanjing massacre, Mr. Wu Weishan introduced its creative background, the conception and the theme of his works in detail: the crying of crimes against humanity and the great care of life. This is the cultural outlook of Mr. Wu Weishan’s sculptures! This is the combination of the cultural view and a superb technique of expression, giving the cold work life and a strong appeal! About carving, Mr. Wu Weishan said, "carving is a process by cutting out the superfluous, subtraction, reduction, leaving only the bones and souls. Modelling is a process of addition, by adding parts of the original work. Sculpture is the process of scrutiny, the process can either be long or short, but the end is to rush down, or to show natural carving." Diplomats nodded in praise.

   Today’s China left some people dazzling with the fast development of arts and culture, and many schools in different forms. Wu Wei-shan's works are highly appraised both at home and abroad for their ideological and artistic qualities, which undoubtedly represent the mainstream of the development of Chinese culture and art. The British Royal Sculptors Association commented that Wu is the new spirit of Chinese art representatives. Organizers who organized the event are trying to help diplomats in China to understand and grasp the mainstream, and give them a more comprehensive understanding of the rapid development of China.

A number of media reporters participated in the coverage of the interview

   The Silk Road Cities Alliance is a joint initiative of Chinese and international well-known figures to promote the exchange and cooperation of cities along the Silk Road, focusing on cultural and health activities. Its Silk Road Ark is a platform for the Alliance, to bring together all the elites, exchanging ideas and participating in the construction of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative. On May 19, 2016, former Italian Prime Minister D'Alema, former director of the Information Office of the State Council, Zhao Qizheng and other important people witnessed the Launch of the Silk Road Ark. The first high-end cultural activity event after the establishment of the Silk Road Ark was the cooperation with the Chinese Sculpture Institute and it got unanimous support from different embassies in China. Silk Road Ark will continue to organize such cultural exchange activities, and promote cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries

   The Chinese Sculpture Institute, founded in May 2007, is a state-level professional art institution integrating sculpture creation, theoretical research and sculpture teaching. As the leading creative research platform for contemporary Chinese sculpture, the Chinese Sculpture Institute has made outstanding contributions.

   The event attracted extensive media attention, for example Xinhua News Agency, China Youth Daily, the National Pictorial, the international online painting and calligraphy channel and other media participated in the coverage of the interview.

Written by Xu Yue (Silk Road Cities Alliance)