Different strokes

In Hangzhou, the African artist created three pieces of work on bark cloth. Concrete or abstract, he painted things that impressed him most, like people rowing boats on the West Lake and the jade relics unearthed from the Liangzhu site.

He named one of these works, Ubuntungumuntu, meaning "we're all connected".

This idea echoes the aim of the "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous "events organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism that have invited hundreds of foreign artists to China since 2009.

This Hangzhou trip was a supplementary event to the first Liangzhu Forum, held from Dec 1 to 3. The foreign artists attended a sub-forum titled Dialogue of Chinese and International Artists: Civilization Exchanges and Mutual Learning. Some of them shared their ideas on the topic.

Xu Jiang, vice-chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, said that the "Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous" program was for the foreign artists to see China as it is — its past and present, and its lasting vitality — and to enhance mutual understanding and respect.

"My generation of Chinese artists, at the early stage of our career, have benefited a lot from the exchanges with the West. I believe some of these foreign artists will experience similar connections with China," the 68-year-old painter said after attending the sub-forum on Dec 2.