Chinese art treats at London Olympics

Fans watching the London 2012 Olympic Games can take a break from sports to have a taste of culture.

One of the fringe activities is a Chinese art exhibition unveiled at the Royal Academy of Arts in London on Monday.

Named China Arts Exhibition, London 2012, Chinese Elegant Transcending Culture, the exhibition displays 160 Chinese brush paintings, oil paintings and sculpture works of 35 modern Chinese arts masters.

"The exhibition is a showcase of contemporary Chinese arts," Liu Xiaoming, China's ambassador in the United Kingdom, says in his speech.

The seven-day exhibition is jointly hosted by the China National Academy of Arts and the China Arts Foundation, with support from the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the Chinese Embassy in Britain and the British Embassy in China.

"Coinciding with the London Olympic Games, this exhibition is a perfect integration of arts and sports," says Tian Liming, deputy president of the Chinese National Academy of Arts.

He Jiaying, a famous fine brushwork figure painter, brought his painting Victory Goddess to the exhibition to extend his best wishes to London. The painting was done to mark the holding of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

After London, the arts exhibition will tour China to showcase the achievements of Chinese artists, who have followed world art trends closely.

- Zhang Chunyan