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A new exhibition of Chinese fine brushwork painting opened on Sunday at the Bin Matar House in Muharraq.
Organised by the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research, in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy, the show, titled Fine Brushwork Flower and Bird Paintings, will run until the end of the month.
The exhibition presents 28 works by Beijing-based artist Su Xiaofeng, who has dedicated more than two decades to refining the traditional gongbi style of painting.
The collection highlights floral subjects with strong cultural symbolism, such as China’s national flower – the peony – which Su describes as symbolic of prosperity, good fortune, and auspiciousness.
“Our Chinese paintings blend traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, poetry, and philosophy,” he told GulfWeekly in an interview.
“Through the pairing of flowers and birds with distinct symbolic meanings, we express the beautiful meanings of traditional Chinese culture.
“For example, the peony represents prosperity, good fortune, and auspiciousness, while the bee represents diligence.”
Born in 1968 in Guangdong Province, Su was influenced early on by the Lingnan School of Painting, before studying under Professor Zhou Yansheng at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.
After moving to Beijing, he broadened his artistic outlook through both scholarship and collaboration with fellow artists.
Over the years, he has established a reputation for a style that he calls ‘clear and elegant’, drawing on tradition while also striving for new realms of expression.
For Su, the choice of subjects goes far beyond their surface beauty.
The exhibition also aims to foster cultural dialogue, and Su hopes that visitors in Bahrain will see more than decorative imagery.
“Through this exhibition, Bahraini artists and people can get close to Chinese paintings and have the opportunity to understand traditional Chinese culture, thereby integrating and communicating with their local culture and art, learning from each other and promoting each other,” he explained.
“This exhibition is a good communication platform to further increase the integration of Eastern and Western cultures and enable the two countries to reach a new understanding of each other’s culture.”
When asked about similarities and contrasts between his gongbi style and Islamic art, Su pointed to both differences in technique and shared values in design.
“Chinese gongbi painting is based on line and must be integrated with Chinese calligraphy,” he added.
“Western art, on the other hand, utilises a variety of creative forms and techniques.
“Furthermore, Eastern and Western aesthetic systems differ significantly.
“Despite these differences, there are also commonalities, such as the principles of composition and colour.”
The artist is no stranger to Bahraini audiences. Just last month, he presented his work at the Art Centre in Manama, where the response was, in his words, ‘very positive’.
He added that it gave people in Bahrain the chance to engage closely with Chinese fine brushwork painting, culture and history.
Among the works on display at the Shaikh Ebrahim Centre, Su admits to having a personal favourite.
“I like all my works, but my favourite is the peony theme,” he added.
“As China’s national flower, the peony represents wealth and good fortune.
“It has been a flower loved by both royal nobles and ordinary people throughout China’s long history.
“The audience can understand the meaning of the flowers in the paintings in traditional Chinese culture and thus understand the connotation of my works.”
Beyond the birds and blossoms, visitors to the exhibition will also get a glimpse into the artist’s lifelong pursuit of balance between nature, philosophy, and artistic spirit.
As Su puts it, “The deeper you delve, the more wonders you discover.”
For more details, follow @shaikh_ebrahim_center on Instagram.
