'Paintings within paintings' bridge East and West

Standing before the ink paintings of Cui Heling, viewers are touched by the richness of the colors and motifs, which showcase her accomplishments in the classical Chinese painting style of gongbi (meticulous brushwork) under the instruction of noted artists, including Bai Yan and Xu Lei. Viewers are also ushered into a realm where the past and present and the East and West meet in the fantasy scenes Cui has created.

Guan Wu Qu Xiang (Contemplating the World to Capture its Forms), Cui's ongoing exhibition at Beijing's Face Art Center, runs until May 31 and displays dozens of her vivid works, featuring a unique "paintings within paintings" approach that is essential to her recent work. The artist integrates portrait figures from Renaissance paintings with elements and patterns from classical Chinese paintings, sparking a chemistry in which the grace and charisma of classical art evoke contemporary sensibilities.