What's on

Diligent painter

In a notable book comprising his complete texts, Xunzi, the philosopher and thinker who lived more than 2,000 years ago, wrote if one persisted with piling up earth, a mountain would be built in the end, emphasizing the importance of one's unyielding efforts to achieve success. This spirit of diligence was behind the accomplishments of Li Jiazhen (1917-2008) in oil painting. The Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, is showing Li's oil works, prints, sketches, watercolors and manuscripts to navigate the artist's career spanning several decades. Li translated the poetic atmosphere and a semi-figurative, semi-abstract style of Chinese painting into his works. The exhibition runs through to May 7.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.138 Nanshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. 0571-8707-8700.

Jiangnan in prints

The West Lake and its surroundings in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, are among the most popular tourist destinations in spring. Prints by Lu Fang, a professor at the China Academy of Arts, which sits by the lake, are also available there, providing an alternative option for visitors to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the area. Lu is known for depicting scenic spots through the seasons around the West Lake in his works. For example, dawn over Sudi, or the Su Causeway, in spring; the moon over the lake in fall; and remnant snow on the Duanqiao Bridge in winter. More than 100 prints of Lu portraying the scenery of Jiangnan, referring to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including that of the West Lake, are on show at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. It offers a chance to feel not only the atmosphere of Jiangnan but also the charms of traditional Chinese woodblock printing that Lu is adept at. Works on show are primarily from the collection of Kunshan Museum in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, Lu's hometown. The exhibition ends on May 8.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.1 Wusi Dajie Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-6326.

Ceramic display

Norwegian artist Torbjorn Kvasbo has returned to Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, where he is able to retouch clay and reconnect with the city's ceramic culture. He stayed there briefly four years ago. This time he gives new life to used porcelain vases and plates by pulling them together with wires and suspending them in midair for his new works that are on display at his solo exhibition, Incarnate, at the Ceramic Art Avenue Art Gallery in Jingdezhen. Also on show are his signature Tube Sculptures and Stack series. Kvasbo is internationally renowned for his experiments with and presentation of ceramics. His most celebrated style is the clustering of ceramic tubes to convey spirituality. The loneliness and persistence of the artist, as well as his thoughts on finding his identity and getting along with the world, are themes of such works. The exhibition runs through to Sept 23.

9 am-9 pm, closed on Mondays. Taoxichuan, 150 Xinchang West Road, Zhushan district, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province.

China Daily