Oil painting biennale opens in Dafen

Shenzhen, a city full of innovation and vitality, has always attached great importance to the development of cultural undertakings. As a cultural district in Shenzhen, Longgang District actively promotes the prosperity of the cultural industry and Dafen Oil Painting Village is one of its cultural business cards. 

Based on the success of the three previouseditions of Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale, Shenzhen (hereinafter referred to as the “Dafen Biennale”), the 4th Dafen Biennale opened on the second floor of the Dafen Art Museum on Jan. 23, once again focusing on the global artistic vision and bringing a soul-shaking visual feast to the audience with outstanding artistic value.

Supported by the Oil Painting Art Committee of China Artists Association and the Oil Painting Institute of the China National Academy of Painting, this year's Dafen Biennale is guided by Shenzhen Federation of Literary And Art Circles, hosted by the Dafen Art Museum, and organized by Shenzhen Artists Association. 

After professional evaluation by the judging committee and approval by relevant departments, a total of 224 pieces of works from 49 countries and regions, were selected for this year’s Dafen Biennale, including 135 pieces from China and 89 pieces from overseas. This large amount of works and their wide geographical distribution fully demonstrate the strong attraction and international influence of the Dafen Biennale.

Since the first Dafen Biennale was held in 2018, the exhibition has carried a special mission and expectation. 

Apart from the Beijing International Art Biennale, Dafen Biennale was the only international oil painting biennale co-hosted by the China Artists Association and local governments at that time. 

Looking back at its previous three editions, Dafen Biennale has successfully built an important bridge for international art exchange. 

The first Dafen Biennale, with the theme of “Openning-up and Integration”, invited artists from around the world to participate. Through a series of academic seminars and art exchange activities, the biennale provided a platform for artists to deepen communication and cooperation, promoting the collision and integration of oil painting art from different cultural backgrounds. 

The second Dafen Biennale, based on the successful experience of the first one, further deepened its theme with the theme of “Home and Co-existence”, encouraging artists to express their thoughts on the future model of home symbiotic model in innovative ways. It attracted more attention from international artists and the number and quality of submissions both reached new highs. 

The third Dafen Biennale, with the theme of “Connectivity and Development”, actively responded to the trend of the times, focused on global art development trends, and boldly explored the depth and width of art. By showcasing cutting-edge artistic concepts and innovative expression techniques, it injected new vitality into the development of oil painting art.

On this basis, the fourth Dafen Biennale further expands the boundaries of art and enhances its artistic value. The Oil Painting Art Committee of the China Artists Association and the Oil Painting Institute of the China National Academy of Painting, as academic support units, have provided solid academic support for the exhibition with their profound academic background and professional artistic vision. Their authority and influence in the field of oil painting art have attracted numerous artists to actively participate, ensuring the high level and quality of exhibited works. 

The exhibition, with the theme of “Green & Coexistence”, closely follows the trend of the times and has profound practical significance and artistic value. In today’s society, with the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, humanity is facing increasingly severe environmental challenges. The theme calls for people to pay attention to environmental protection and advocates the concept of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

At the exhibition space, exquisite oil paintings have attracted numerous visitors to watch and appreciate. These works, like windows, allow the audience to appreciate the customs, cultural characteristics, and profound reflections of artists on life and the world. 

The exhibition's parallel event, titled “Symphonic Time & Space — AI Art Exhibition,” aims to explore the challenges and opportunities brought by the development of AI technology to the oil painting industry. In this transformation, how can humans, nature, and technology seek new paths for harmonious coexistence, and deeply develop the diversified development of the Dafen Oil Painting Village IP, create an organic cultural industry ecology, and empower the oil painting village's industry to continue leading the global art market.

The biennale will open until April 20, during which multiple academic exchange activities and art lectures will also be held. 

Looking ahead to the future, the Dafen Biennale will continue to uphold the concepts of innovation, openness and inclusiveness, continuously improving the quality and influence of the exhibition. It will continue to provide a stage for artists to showcase their talents, bring more exciting artistic feasts to the audience, and write a more brilliant chapter in promoting cultural exchanges at home and abroad, promoting urban cultural development and assisting the construction of the Greater Bay Area cultural circle.