Cao Zhen caozhen0806@126.com PAINTINGS created by Luis Sei Fong and Maria Carolina Fontana from Uruguay are on display at Shenzhen Fine Art Institute, expressing their unique feelings and thoughts about Shenzhen. The artists invited by the institute for the Resident Artist Program are presenting works that they created in their home country, as well as some made in Shenzhen during their one-month stay. The pieces showcase the colorful landscapes and vivid life scenes of Uruguay and Shenzhen. Because of Fong’s half-Chinese ancestry, he began to study Chinese painting skills in his childhood. Over his long painting career he has also studied Western sketching, watercolor and oil painting techniques as well as history. He believes studying basic painting techniques, whether Chinese or Western, is like building the foundation of a building. Fong told Shenzhen Daily that he respects the Chinese virtues of patience and diligence, so at the exhibition, viewers can find a water color on paper series portraying ordinary Chinese laborers in Shenzhen. Fong’s landscape watercolor paintings also have a strong traditional Chinese influence. His huge watercolor on canvas, “Opera Carnival,” is a striking piece in the exhibition hall featuring more than 30 Beijing opera performers and South American carnival dancers. The artist said that in the painting, people from two different cultures are united by the music and the joy of life. “Beijing opera performers and carnival dancers resemble one another in headwear and makeup. This painting presents a dialogue between them.” Different from his other colorful paintings, this 4.3x2m artwork is in black and white with simple strokes. Fong explained that he focused on the facial expression of each performer and didn’t want viewers to be distracted by colorful costumes. Another exhibitor, Fontana displays paintings belonging to her “Of Here and There” series. The artist placed paintings of similar scenes together on purpose to make a contrast between life in Shenzhen and Uruguay. The series, “Of Here and There — Dancers” is a set of three watercolor on paper paintings with two depicting typical Uruguayan tango and candombe dancers, and one portraying Chinese Xinjiang dancers. “Of Here and There — Children Playing” contains two paintings with one showing Uruguayan children playing soccer and the other one featuring Chinese families making bubbles in a park. “The daily life scenes I saw in Shenzhen are very inspirational,” said Fontana. “When people from different cultures dance or play in parks or rest on the coast, we have the same feelings. The ‘Of Here and There’ series is a way to explore our mind, no matter whether you are here or there. We visited many cultural and leisure places in Shenzhen during the resident program, and you can only know another culture’s people by living with them and opening your mind,” said Fontana. Shenzhen Fine Art Institute’s Resident Artist Program was launched in 2000 and more than 60 artists from 23 countries and regions have been invited to create and research art as well as hold exhibitions at the institute. Dates: Until April 28 Venue: Shenzhen Fine Art Institute, 36 Jinhu Street 1, Yinhu, Luohu District (罗湖区银湖金湖一街36号深圳画院) Metro: Line 9, Yinhu Station (银湖站), Exit D | 