Chinese Brushes in Belfast and Beyond
Over the past three years the ArtEast NI ladies haven’t stopped painting, despite the pandemic. Instead, they have been producing a collection of paintings in a variety of styles with influence from various cultures.
ArtEast NI, founded in 2015, is a group of artists primarily in Belfast, who are enthusiastic about Chinese paintings. Over the years they have become more inclusive to accept memberships from outside Northern Ireland as well.
As we enter the Year of the Rabbit, the ArtEast Club would like to present an inclusive exhibition in collaboration with the Ulster Museum, continuing with an online exhibition facilitated by The Language Centre at Queen’s. This way, they hope to bring a wider community of audience together for better engagement and greater interactivity.
About the online exhibition
The online exhibition starts with a presentation of calligraphy to wish everything goes smoothly and every one can aspire to achieve what they hope for.
Members in participation (alphabetic order)
Dr Yuanyuan CHEN is a lecturer in animation history and theory at Ulster University, and she is also the co-course director for BDes (Hons) Animation. She is very interested in all types of painting, particularly traditional Chinese brush painting.
Jean JING is a self-taught painter who has a passion towards art. She used to work in scientific field. After her retirement, she devotes her time to Chinese ink painting and traditional watercolour. Currently, she is a member of several art clubs and societies such as Ulster Watercolour Society, Ulster Society of Woman Artists and Qing Yun Art Academy in Shanghai. She won the Desmond O’Kane Award on the Ulster Watercolour Society annual exhibition in 2022.
Elsie KUAN is a member of Royal Society of Chemistry and a member of Ulster Watercolour Society. Taking up painting as her hobby initially, she has done outdoor painting with Mr James Watson for many years. She has joined Royal Ulster Academic Exhibitions twice.
Jieyu LI was very interested in art since her childhood. She particularly likes drawing traditional Chinese paintings. Recently she has practiced some traditional Chinese paintings.
Lili LI was born and educated in an academic environment and learned Chinese ink painting and calligraphy early in her life. She worked in the financial and business sectors and has been involved heavily in voluntary work, but arts always have been her passion. She has started to learn oil painting since the pandemic period. She uses both traditional and modern methods to capture movement and life.
Yihui SONG, PhD graduant in Chemistry of Queen’s University Belfast, comes from Liaoning province, China. She has a wide range of interest in Chinese culture, especially being passionate about Chinese calligraphy, seal carving, guqin playing and dance.
Educated both in science and traditional Chinese medicine, Meiling YANG is now working as an acupuncturist in a Chinese medical clinic. She has been interested in art since her childhood and learned the basics of art and Chinese painting. She loves art and practises Chinese painting in her leisure time.
Wenli ZHANG has worked in various professional roles in university/college and public sectors in NI. She loves traditional Chinese art, and applies both freehand ink wash and meticulous technique (gong bi) in her artworks. Her flowers and birds, landscape, and figure paintings represent a symbol of good luck and blessing of the traditional culture. She is an active member of the ArtEast club.
Xiaoping ZHANG was born in Qingdao, China. He is fond of traditional Chinese culture, particularly in calligraphy, ink painting and taiji practice. Since he went to Europe in 2000, he has often practised painting and writing calligraphy after his work, which he enjoys very much.
Online Exhibition
We thank you for viewing. If you use your mobile to view the paintings, please make sure that you scroll your screen so that you can view all of them. If you view them on your computer, there should have arrows on each side of the window frame to help you viewing the paintings in the complete sense. 【友情提醒：如您在手机端观看画作，您需要在屏幕上滑动图片，以便观看该作者的所有作品；如您是在电脑上观看，也需要点击图片框两边的箭头观看。】
Yuanyuan CHEN
Jean JING
Year of the Rabbit – Watercolour 
Before Sunset – Ink painting on rice paper 
A Full Moon Night – Ink painting on rice paper 
Steve Jobs – Ink painting on watercolour paper 
My Place My Rule – Ink painting on rice paper 
Thawing River – Ink painting on rice paper 
Peonies and Butterflies – Ink painting on rice paper 
Irish Sea – Watercolour 
Red Lily – Watercolour 
Guilty Eyes – Watercolour
Elsie KUAN
Jieyu LI
Lili LI
Euphoria 喜悦 – Oil painting 
Ballet 芭蕾舞 – Oil painting 
Autumn leaves 秋叶 – Oil painting 
A bunch of Flowers 一束花 – Oil painting 
Untouched by the impurity 出污泥而不染 – Chinese Ink Painting 
Guilin landscape is the best in the world 桂林山水甲天下 – Chinese Ink Printing 
Little white rabbit 小白兔 – Pencil 
Alert 警惕 – Oil painting 
Seal, A hundred flowers bloom, a hundred schools of thought contend 印，百花齐放，百家争鸣 – Ink 
Happiness, Fine Career and Longevity 小篆，福禄寿 – Oil painting
Meiling YANG
Peony 牡丹花, 工笔 – Chinese Ink Painting 
Chrysanthemum Pigeon 菊石飞鸽图，小写意 – Chinese Ink Painting 
Bengal Clockvine 大邓伯花, 工笔 – Chinese Ink Painting 
Magnolia and Oriole Bird 玉兰和黄鹂鸟，工笔 – Chinese Ink Painting 
Camellia and Suzaku 山茶和朱雀 – Chinese Ink Painting 
Begonia flowers 海棠花，工笔 – Chinese Ink Painting 
Red leaves 红叶- Chinese Ink Painting 
Cat 猫 – Chinese Ink Painting
Wenli ZHANG
Sweet Nap 甜蜜的小憩 – Chinese Watercolour 
Five Lucky Pandas 五福图 – Chinese Watercolour 
White Cranes and Lotus 荷中仙子 – Chinese Watercolour 
Peonies 牡丹 – Chinese Watercolour 
Vegetables, Fruits & Insects 蔬果昆虫图 – Chinese Watercolour 
A Battle in the Garden 花园里的搏斗 – Chinese Watercolour 
Butterfly & Crested Cock’s-Comb 墨色蝴蝶和鸡冠花 – Chinese Watercolour 
Blue-and-Green Landscape 青绿山水 – Chinese Watercolour 
Giants Causeway 巨人之路 – Chinese Watercolour 
Dunluce Castle from the distance登路斯城堡远眺 – Watercolour
Xiaoping ZHANG
If you have any thoughts or comments regarding the above paintings, you are welcome to use the box below for communication.