A guest takes photos of an exhibit during the exhibition of woolen needlepoint tapestry from east China's Shanghai at the China Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on July 4, 2019. An exhibition that aims to showcase woolen needlepoint tapestry from east China's Shanghai is opened here on Thursday at the China Cultural Center. The exhibition, which demonstrates both Shanghai's rich tapestry scene and the history of Chinese embroidery, will run till Sept.18. (Xinhua/Pan Geping)
BRUSSELS, July 4 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition that aims to showcase woolen needlepoint tapestry from east China's Shanghai is opened here on Thursday at the China Cultural Center.
Shanghai's woolen needlepoint tapestry, a craft that is part of China's national cultural heritage, has evolved thanks to a cultural mix of Eastern and Western art.
"This art form is a result of cultural exchanges between China and Europe, and a symbol of our relationship," said Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Cao Zhongming at the opening ceremony.
Woolen needlepoint tapestry originated in Europe and was introduced in China towards the end of the 19th century. In the 1940s, the woolen needlepoint tapestry industry in Shanghai took off. As Western art was represented using various needle skills, Chinese family crafts made their way to the global stage.
The works on display, all crafted by modern embroidery artists from Shanghai, reveal this integration of Eastern crafts and Western arts in all its glory. Besides recreations of paintings by Western artists, nature is also represented in many shapes and forms.
Chinese as well as European sceneries are demonstrated while cultural landmarks add another element to the mix, making this a diverse but coherent exhibition.
These exhibits come from the Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts, which has been housed in a French renaissance building since 1905.
The exhibition, which demonstrates both Shanghai's rich tapestry scene and the history of Chinese embroidery, will run till Sept.18.
