Chinese artists showcase paintings and calligraphy for Milan expo

A painting on display at the opening of the exhibition at the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

A batch of paintings and calligraphy works by prestigious Chinese artists are in a preview exhibition through Saturday at the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing and will be on display at the China Pavilion during the ongoing Expo Milano 2015 in Italy beginning Tuesday.

The 62 pieces, created by artists from the Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Institute, showcase the high skill of these artists and the elegance of traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy.

During the exhibition's opening ceremony, 16 artists were awarded the gold medal for their works, including Zhai Xin, Liu Baoshan, Guo Hongyi and Liu Jigang.

Zhai Xin, the institute's executive director and also a famous calligrapher, said at the ceremony that the institute regards the Milan Expo as a platform to showcase the essence of traditional Chinese culture by using the universal language of art.

Zhai Xin launched an on-site creation by writing down four Chinese characters "Shi Bo Jing Dian" (meaning "world expo classics") on a scroll 100 meters long. A few representative artists later painted or wrote on the scroll, which also will be exhibited at the Milan Expo.

The institute is dedicated to promoting traditional Chinese culture and communicating with art circles overseas.