An art works exhibition is held in Shinan on Jan 9. [Photo/WeChat account: qdweishinan]  

The "College Spirit" 2021 Excellent Works Exhibition – staged by the China New Classic Painting Association -- was held in the Shinan district of Qingdao city in East China's Shandong province on Jan 9, according to local officials.

The exhibition of paintings included the works of 26 artists including Xu Qingfeng, Zhao Yanting and Ceng Chuanqing. Officials said visitors were enthralled by the excellence of the pieces.

"At the beginning of 2021, we would like to take this opportunity to share these works with our contemporaries in Qingdao," said artist Xu Qingfeng.

"I think as a painter, my lifelong pursuit is that our works can represent this era in China well and even become cultural symbols of this era in the future."

Serving as the core area of Qingdao, Shinan is the forefront of the city's developing fashion industry. Officials said that with the focus on the vision of creating a vibrant and dynamic modern international city, Shinan is vigorously developing its fashion sector and flourishing fashion culture. In recent years, the district has made great efforts to develop creative design, cultural media, film and television, animation and other formats.

"This exhibition brings together an understanding of the classical spirit and the classical culture of outstanding young and middle-aged artists," said Wang Shaobo, chairman of the Association of Literature and Art Circles in Qingdao.

Wang told an interview it showcased the integration of contemporary oil painting and traditional painting, to create an artistic display of each person's different personality, which made the exhibition meaningful.

"From an academic point of view, it also gives us a lot of understanding and gives the visitors a lot of inspiration," Wang added.