A visitor draws at the International Illustration Festival Shanghai, part of the fifth Yangtze River Delta International Cultural Industries Expo, which opens in Shanghai from Nov 22 to 25. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Taking illustration as the link, over 1,800 domestic and overseas artists gathered at the International Illustration Festival Shanghai for the first time from Friday to Monday, looking to spark new inspirations through cultural exchanges.
As part of the fifth Yangtze River Delta International Cultural Industries Expo, the festival, with a coverage of 26,000 square meters, consists of nine sections including markets, special exhibitions, art installations and forums. It aims to break the walls between illustration art and industries, promote cultural exchanges transcending boundaries, as well as to create a sustainable and innovative development environment for this art form, according to the organizer.
Visitors at the International Illustration Festival Shanghai, part of the fifth Yangtze River Delta International Cultural Industries Expo, which opens in Shanghai from Nov 22 to 25. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
"Illustration art has been booming in China in recent years, and an increasing number of Chinese illustration works are drawing global attention. Research projects on illustration creation and the latest theories are continuously growing too … Thus, how to present the unique Chinese perspectives in global illustration art has become a new topic for the industry," said Huang Liwei, curator of the festival.
Huang added that the event focuses on providing a platform for illustrators to create, communicate and share, connecting both illustration artists and industries to explore new possibilities and markets.
Visitors at the International Illustration Festival Shanghai, part of the fifth Yangtze River Delta International Cultural Industries Expo, which opens in Shanghai from Nov 22 to 25. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The new Chinese style, which often refers to incorporating Chinese cultural symbolism into modern designs, is also reflected in illustration art in China.
"The new Chinese style shows that Chinese illustrators are now focusing more on Chinese traditional cultures and finding their positions in our own culture, which is critical. It demonstrates our growing cultural confidence in recent decades. China boasts a such long history, and we need to slow down our pace to read, experience, feel the daily life and accumulate," said Hu.
Li agreed with Hu on the positive and promising prospects of the new Chinese style illustration, adding that this booming trend is just the beginning and expecting more and better such works to emerge.
"The new-Chinese style trend is a journey about 'discovery'. It led us to look at our past and will lead us to the future as well. Illustration works can inspire various fine arts such as animation, trendy toys and graphic design. This festival is like a carnival within the illustration industry, and I am here to communicate and learn," said Li.
Coming to Shanghai for the first time, the popular Japanese illustrator Rolua is hoping to improve his recognition in China and held a book-signing event during the festival.
Visitors draw at the International Illustration Festival Shanghai, part of the fifth Yangtze River Delta International Cultural Industries Expo, which opens in Shanghai from Nov 22 to 25. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
"It is very interesting for me to see the grand buildings and different streets here in Shanghai. Chinese illustrators are showing great skills in their creations, and their styles are quite different from Japanese illustrators as well. They have beautiful drawings and are especially good at presenting brilliant scenes," said Rolua.
The featured architecture in Shanghai also captivated Ugo Gattoni, whose illustrations are usually rich in detail, playing on texture, carefully composed and combining various elements. He was impressed by the Chinese handicrafts and craftsmanship during his first visit to China this summer, which later became his inspiration in creation.
"As an architecture fan, I always feel happy each time when I come to Shanghai and see the buildings. This time (at the festival), I came here and felt the same warm welcome and friendliness. I can meet with the Chinese public who are pretty new to me, share some about my ideas and draw here. It is also very amazing and impressive to see so many and different works here," said Gattoni.
Visitors at the International Illustration Festival Shanghai, part of the fifth Yangtze River Delta International Cultural Industries Expo, which opens in Shanghai from Nov 22 to 25. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
