Xing has also said that such a piece of art is very helpful for his students to examine Da Vinci's work in a more detailed way, because it is created on a much larger scale and allows many of the details to be clearly seen.
The brocade portrait was unveiled to an Italian audience on July 7 at Leonardo da Vinci's Vineyard, a symbolic venue where the great Italian artist once worked. Pan's staff also decided on a fashion show featuring yunjin on July 13 at La Pelota in Milan. The clothes to be presented at the fashion show are designed by leading Chinese haute couture figure Lawrence Xu. Included are about 40 dresses made from yunjin.
The models will walk in a curved path to represent the feeling of water flowing in Nanjing's Qinhuai River, with the effect heightened by lighting.
The design of many of the garments shows Western influence, but some pieces distinctly represent Chinese culture, including pieces that a Chinese bride would wear.
The fashion show is accompanied by a live performance by renowned Chinese singer Gong Linna and her German husband Robert Zollitsch, better known as Lao Luo to Chinese audiences.
Pan says organizers hope the exhibitions will help Western audiences understand and appreciate yunjin, and that private companies and designers will see opportunities to make yunjin products more widespread globally.
Nanjing officials were accompanied by representatives of about 30 companies from the city during Nanjing Week, so Pan's team planned a forum in Milan on July 10 and another in Florence on July 14 for the company officials to meet with Italian creative industry firms to discuss possible business cooperation.
Pan says there is already some collaboration between Nanjing companies and Italian partners, and many Nanjing students are studying art and design in Italy.
Other aspects of the city's culture are also being showcased as part of Nanjing Week. These include furniture, installations, design objects and kunqu opera performances.
"We want to facilitate the process of Chinese culture going global. We give it public sector support, and we help and encourage private sector companies to find cooperation opportunities internationally, and allow them to lead the whole process," Pan says.
"The important thing is to share Chinese culture with Western audiences, in a modest and inclusive way, and avoid being seen as imposing our culture on them," he says. Pan says Nanjing has always been a culturally rich city with creative industries at its heart. He says it should not be a standalone industry but instead work to serve all other industries.
"Creative industries ... help other industries make their products and ideas more relevant and unique, and therefore also help Chinese products to move up the value chain," Pan says.
cecily.liu@chinadaily.com.cn
