Belgian artist Walter Vilain (L) and Yao Yizhi, a Belgian painter of Chinese origin, attend the opening ceremony of a joint exhibition entitled "Walter Vilain & Yao Yizhi: Melody" in Brussels, Belgium, June 28, 2018. Set to run until Sept. 10, 2018, the exhibition features representative artworks selected from the latest art creations by Walter Vilain and Yao Yizhi. (Xinhua/Pan Geping)
BRUSSELS, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Entitled "Walter Vilain & Yao Yizhi: Melody", a joint exhibition kicked off Friday at the China Cultural Center in Brussels to pay tribute to the friendship between the two artists.
Set to run until Sept. 10, 2018, the exhibition features representative artworks selected from the latest art creations by Walter Vilain and Yao Yizhi, who, the center says, "blend European and Chinese cultures into unique canvas bearing two peoples' history."
During the opening ceremony held on Thursday in a studio of the cultural center, Belgian artist Walter Vilain, and Yao Yizhi, a Belgian painter of Chinese origin, painted improvisationally and recited poems.
Vilain, 80, relied on a piece of charcoal to bring a beautiful curve of the human body to the canvas with a mad and powerful twist, while Yao Yizhi created a landscape painting with delicate strokes. The crowds at the ceremony were treated to a stunning display of two masters of their own craft busily at work.
Walter Vilain was a student of Paul Delvaux, a Belgian surrealist, and is currently the honorary director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in Belgium.
Yao Yizhi studied painting from master Cheng Shifa. Since arriving in Europe, he has been exploring ways to better integrate Chinese and Western arts. In 1993, he was awarded the Artist Prize of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp.
Addressing the event, Ambassador Zhang Ming, Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, said the art dialogue between China and the EU will help deepen the cultural exchanges between the two sides.
Willy Claes, former deputy Belgian prime minister, said at the event that dialogue is better than confrontation and that the exchanges and dialogues among artists of various countries help guarantee world peace.
