The new exhibit Peace and Harmony in Chinese Brush Painting at the Dayton Peace Museum features the artwork of Afu Hong, a famous artist from China. As Hong’s student for more than six years, the exhibit also includes the artwork of Yufeng Wang, a Sinclair history professor.
The exhibit will be open until June 30 and is open and free to the public.
The artwork will focus on inspiring peace because world peace and cultural understanding is an endeavor that Wang has been trying to achieve. Through her artwork, she hopes to bridge a cultural gap that promotes learning.
“Peace and respect are part of my upbringing and deep cultural root. As I grow older, my life goal has become clearer–not only to fulfill life’s potential–but strive to make a difference.
Promoting historical and cross-cultural understanding has become my lifelong endeavor,” she said.
Art has been a passion of Wang’s since she was a little girl, but she said history and teaching at Sinclair is something that she is dedicated to doing.
“I want people to think history teacher doing art, well how did that come about? But I also want people to see that I am dedicated to teaching, and I don’t put one above the other,” she said.
She is a history teacher that loves art because in 1981, as one of the pioneering students from mainland China, she said she was offered a full-scholarship to study art and world history in America.
“I was excited because they liked my effort. They saw that I was innovative and a hardworking student,” she said. “So I came to America to do what I loved to do best—learn.”
The exhibit
The exhibit will display Wang’s talent and understanding of Chinese brush painting. Chinese brush painting is the oldest continuous artistic tradition, Wang said. It utilizes a brush dipped in black or colored ink on silk and paper.
All of Wang’s artwork, on display at the Peace Museum uses some aspect of nature to symbolize peace, harmony and hope.
“The exhibit captures the very essence of hope, balance and peace that has been a foundation of Chinese art since the Ming Dynasty and before,” London Coe, retail coordinator for the Peace Museum, said.
Wang knows her endeavor to achieve world peace will last her a lifetime, but she said she is dedicated to the cause and hopes that her artwork will inspire cultural and long lasting peace.
“As a professor of american history born in China, I see myself as a cross-culture bridge builder and a planter of seeds of learning and understanding,” Wang said. “It is only natural that I volunteer at the DIPM¸ a place that promotes mutual respect, worldly understanding and peaceful co-existence.”
For more information contact Wang at yufeng.wang@sinclair.edu or call 512-2248.
The peace Museum is located at 208 W. Monument Avenue in downtown Dayton. For more information about the exhibit at the Peace Museum call 937-22-PEACE.