Rich artwork from DPRK stops in Shanxi during tour

Crowds of visitors have flocked to a downtown art gallery in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, over the past two weeks to take in an exhibition of oil paintings from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The Jinzhao Art Museum in Dandong, Liaoning province, is host of the traveling exhibition — Aestheticism Beyond

Borders — and it took more than 200 oil paintings from the DPRK to a slew of Chinese cities before settling down with the ongoing exhibition in Taiyuan.

Sheng Kaixin, a staff member of the museum, said the exhibition is aimed at meeting local people’s needs for cultural diversity.

“We are aware of the Chinese people’s lack of understanding of art from the DPRK and we think the oil paintings might be a good start,” she said.

The display in Taiyuan has attracted many local residents, and as word spread through major social media outlets, people from neighboring areas have come for a glimpse as well.

Gu Xinxia, who is in charge of the exhibition, said visitors have told her the paintings are exquisite.

The works on display “are surprising to them since they never imagined that art in the DPRK has developed to such a mature and delicate level”, she said.

Bao Guitao, academic consultant for the touring exhibition, has worked on the promotion of art from the DPRK for years. He was born in Dandong, a city near the DPRK border.

“The oil paintings fully demonstrate the value of works from the DPRK which needs to be recognized by more Chinese,” Bao said. “More importantly, it will help bring art from the DPRK into the lives of the Chinese people and help them understand each other better.”

China needs to communicate with the DPRK in various ways, and art exchanges are a perfect channel for cultural dialogue, Bao said.

We are aware of the Chinese people’s lack of understanding of art from the DPRK and we think the oil paintings might be a good start.” Sheng Kaixin, staff member of the Jinzhao Art Museum