In the past two years, Da Vinci Talk exhibitions revolved around a central concept that artists had to follow and then create works based on their interpretations of the theme. Of course, this is standard practice around the world and despite the many excellent works I have continued to receive, I still felt as if there was something missing.

 

After much consideration, I decided not to set a theme for this year’s exhibition. Rather than limiting our artists’ creativity by binding them to a single theme, which they may or may not even take an interest in, I decided to leave it as an open platform to assist in students achieving their dreams. In this way, the artists are inspired to create art without boundaries, as I believe that the best works are those that reflect the current thoughts and state of mind of the artist. Such works are more convincing in reflecting their personal expressions and allow artists to connect more deeply with the audience than through a particular theme.

 

I am relieved to feel that I made the right choice. This year, I have selected 40 diverse artworks on paper, each showcasing a true portrayal of the artists’ aspirations. Their paintings articulate their life experiences and creative extensions. When you appreciate these works, you are not only seeing 40 beautiful artworks, you are also taking a glimpse into the colourful inner worlds of 40 individual artists. 

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上两届展览都设定了主题，要求报名者提交与主题相符的作品，虽然这样的做法在世界上很普遍，而们也确实收到了不少很好的作品，但我总觉得有什么地方做得不够好。

 

思前想后，这一届画展决定不再设定主题，因为我觉得并不是所有的学生都对同一主题感兴趣，与其要求他们对没有感觉的主题从事创作，倒不如打破条条框框，任他们自由发挥，把自己认为最好的，最能体现艺术家当下思想和状态的作品拿出来，这样的作品更有说服力，更能与观众展开充分的对话。

 

令人欣慰的是，我的决定没错，这次入选的40幅各种题材的纸本作品，每一幅都是艺术家心声的真实写照，人如其画，画如其人。当你欣赏这些作品的时候，你看到的不光是40幅美轮美奂的图像，你更看到了40个艺术家缤纷的内心世界。

 

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