Anna Zhao anna.whizh@yahoo.com MORE than 300 posters by 139 designers from 41 countries and regions in the world are on exhibition at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum through May 25.  Covering a wide variety of topics, the posters are a kaleidoscope of contemporary graphic designs from celebrated designers as well as emerging designers from both China and overseas. Quite a large number of prominent works by celebrated designers from Germany, France, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan are among the exhibits. Even though the exhibit is the first of its kind in Shenzhen, the exhibition’s curators said that they hope to turn the poster exhibition into an international design festival. “We received far more works than we had expected to, and that makes me want to keep running the event,” said Chen Pingbo, the lead curator. The exhibition was also an important cultural event for Futian District during the 11th (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) as an international exchange. Chen, who also initiated the exhibition, said he hopes to raise ordinary people’s appreciation for the aesthetic beauty of posters. Chen said he was inspired to organize a poster festival after he attended a poster design festival in France six years ago. In France, he was awed by the ordinary French citizens’ love for art. “There are posters everywhere — in the Metro, airports, shopping malls — good design is integrated into life. At one point, an old lady, probably in her 70s, was interested in a poster I was carrying and started a conversation with me,” he recalled. The exhibition includes works by more than 20 of China’s top designers. A designer himself, Chen feels there is a huge gap between Chinese poster design and foreign designs. A major reason Chinese poster design lags behind, he said, was a halt to poster design in recent history. “China’s poster designs during the Republican period were abreast with international levels, but it almost came to a stop with the anti-invasion war and later the liberation war. During the Cultural Revolution, almost all of the posters were about politics; they seldom were concerned with the economy, humanity or culture. Poster design didn’t resume until China’s reform and opening up,” Chen said. Chen said that it’s a common misunderstanding among many people that posters are commercial advertisements. “My ultimate purpose is to present designers’ ideas to the public on a single sheet of paper,” he said. “I dream that poster design will become its own culture that is appreciated by the masses.” Dates: Through May 25 Venue: Guan Shanyue Art Museum, 6026 Hongli Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路6026号关山月美术馆) Metro: Longgang or Longhua Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit B | 