Shandong artists depict contemporary life in traditional ways

An art exhibition Youth Responsibility featuring paintings by artists from Shandong province opened in Shanghai on Dec 6.

Around 80 works, including oil paintings, ink wash paintings and sculptures, are on display in the gallery of the Fine Arts College at Shanghai University through Dec 18.

A large number of exhibited works try to incorporate contemporary topics in China through traditional painting techniques and subjects.

Li Encheng, deputy chairman of Shandong Association of Young Artists, presented his work Encounter, where he depicts several of China's endangered red-crown cranes fighting with bird nets.

"I heard the news about the birds being captured for money two years ago, so I want to raise people's awareness of protection of animals through my work," Li said, adding the red-crown crane often appears in traditional Chinese paintings and it's a symbol of longevity.

"Their encounter with nets is my artistic protest of killing the birds," he said.