An exhibition featuring ink and wash painting created by Shandong artists opened on June 28 in Belgrade, the capital and largest city of Serbia.

Sponsored by the Shandong provincial department of culture and tourism, and organized by the Shandong Art Museum, the Ink Imagery exhibition displays 46 representative works by 23 Shandong artists, covering landscape, flower-and-bird, figures, and genre paintings.

According to the Shandong Art Museum, the exhibits integrate traditional Chinese ink wash with artists' deep understanding and grasp of reality.

The exhibition, which will last until July 7, is designed to tell Chinese stories to the world and spread Shandong culture through the unique language of Chinese ink and wash paintings.

More than 100 guests, including government officials, artists, media journalists, and art lovers from both countries, attended the opening ceremony.

Yu Jie, vice governor of the Shandong provincial government, delivered a speech at the ceremony. He said that Shandong is the hometown of Confucius and an important birthplace of Chinese civilization. The profound history and culture have created the important influence of Shandong art in China.

Yu expressed his hope that the exhibition would show the unique features of Chinese painting to Serbians, deepen bilateral exchanges in the fields of culture and tourism, as well as jointly promote China-Serbia cultural exchanges and cooperation.

Serbian Minister of Culture and Information Vladan Vukosavljevic, said that the traditional friendship between Serbia and China goes back to ancient times and the development of bilateral relations enjoys a good foundation.

He also spoke highly of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which has brought Serbia economic and technological cooperation, as well as cultural and artistic exchanges.

According to Vukosavljevic, Serbia and China differ greatly in their population, territorial areas, and cultures, and he hoped that the exhibition will promote the cooperation between the art scenes of the two countries, as well as give a strong impetus to bilateral cultural exchanges and the friendly cooperation between China and Serbia.

Before the opening of the exhibition, Shandong Art Museum signed a framework cooperation agreement with the National Museum of Serbia.

Yu Jie (left), vice governor of Shandong provincial government, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Ink Imagery exhibition on June 28 in Belgrade, capital of Serbia. [Photo/chinaculture.org]

Serbian Minister of Culture and Information Vladan Vukosavljevic delivers a speech at the opening ceremony. [Photo/chinaculture.org]

Artists from Shandong province introduce theirs paintings to visitors at the exhibition. [Photo/chinaculture.org]

Participants at the opening ceremony watch a promo video of Shandong. [Photo/chinaculture.org]

Chinese and Serbian artists discuss painting techniques of an ink and wash painting on exhibition. [Photo/chinaculture.org]