Exhibition showcases new trend of Chinese illustration
04/03/2010

Exhibition showcases new trend of Chinese illustration

2010年03月04日  07:10    Shenzhen Daily

Newman Huo

THE Second China Illustration Exhibition, the largest of its kind on the Chinese mainland, is being staged at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum with a display of more than 400 works.

These cover five categories, including the printing press, brand images, multimedia, advertising and marketing, and creative illustration.

They include the Huolang Design Enterprise Image, a gold award work by Shenzhen graphic designer Yang Zhen in the category of brand images, and the Theatre Sans Animaux, a gold award work by Shenzhen graphic designer Zheng Huapi in the category of advertising and marketing.

"Selected from more than 2,000 entries, the works on display reflect the most recent development of the Chinese illustration industry," said Zhang Zhongyang, chairman of the Shenzhen Illustration Association.

As a biennial event, the First China Illustration Exhibition was launched in Shenzhen in 2007. Following suit, the organizing committed for the Second China Illustration Exhibition in 2009 had attracted more than 2,000 entries from all over the country.

A panel of seven international jurors finally selected three gold awards, seven silver and 11 bronze awards.

Compared with the first China Illustration Exhibition, the second exhibition has made great progress in both the quantity and quality of participating works, said Zhang.

"But, since the illustration industry in China is still in the early stage of development, some problems are unavoidable, such as the trend of imitating artistic styles of South Korean and Japanese illustrators," Zhang said.

"Another striking issue is that Chinese illustrators seem to pay more attention to creative illustrations and still have a lot work to do in commercializing their works," he said.

Along with the Second China Illustration Exhibition, the First Greater China Illustration Awards exhibition, which is organized by the Hong Kong Society of Illustrators (HKSI), is on display at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum.

According to K.Y.Chan, chairman of the HKIS, the First Greater China Illustration Awards exhibition focuses more on caramelized illustrations.

The exhibition's works were selected from 500 entries from Hong Kong and Macao illustrators, 100 entries from Taiwan illustrators and 100 from mainland Chinese illustrators, Chan said.

As an art genre, an illustration is a visualization such as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that stresses subject more than form.

In the visual art world, illustrators have sometimes been considered less important in comparison with fine artists and graphic designers.

But as a result of growth in computer games and the comics industry, illustrations today are becoming valued as popular and profitable art works that can attract a wide market, especially in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States.

Dates: Until March 14

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Monday

Venue: Guan Shanyue Art Museum (关山月美术馆)

Add: 6026 Hongli Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路6026号)

Buses: 10, 14, 25, 34, 105, 111, 215, 228, 238, 322, 350, 371

Metro: Shao Nin Gong Station (Children's Palace Station, 少年宫站), Exit B

Record on Shenzhen Daily, English Edition (China),P. B08