East Meets West in Budapest as Chinese art exhibition opens

The Hungarian National Museum is hosting the Chinese Xieyi exhibition, a showcase of 58 artworks from the National Art Museum of China. The exhibition blends traditional Chinese brushwork with Western influences and explores themes of nature, philosophy and human expression.

Curator Tünde Fegyvári-Komori describes the exhibition as a window into the evolution of Chinese art.

"This exhibition is a collection of 58 artworks, including four sculptures from 58 different artists, from the National Life Museum of China's collection," she tells CGTN. "And they represent modern and contemporary artworks, partly reflecting back to the traditional Chinese painting and Chinese art and reflecting to Western influences, in art, which mostly started arriving in China after the 1970s and the 80s."

The exhibit's themes center on three aspects of Chinese artistic philosophy: meaning, form and interest. These elements shape the unique approach of Xieyi, or freehand brushwork.

"The first one's called meaning. This focuses on the essence of the topic. The second one is form, it's quite similar to meaning but from a different approach – they're focusing on the form itself that they see but they are not aiming at mirroring reality," Fegyvári-Komori explains.

"The third one is called interest. In this last part, I would say that it's a combination of the first two."

Among the exhibition's highlights is a sculpture of Lao Tzu. The figure, departing the Qin Empire, rides an ox-head panther symbolizing mysticism and spiritual journeys.

"It expresses Xieyi very well. But at the same time, it also expresses a little bit of Western modern art, abstract art," says Fegyvári-Komori.

For visitors, the exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the intricate evolution of Chinese art.

"My father had several books about Chinese art - about porcelains, ceramics and paintings. It always struck me how different it is from our European tradition. There's a subtlety and sensitivity in it. The way they express emotions feels so unique and profound," said Daniel, a visitor.

The exhibition commemorates the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Hungary and China. It celebrates the countries’ cultural ties and mutual appreciation for art.

Through delicate brushwork, abstract forms and mythical sculptures, Chinese Xieyi bridges Eastern traditions and Western influences, offering visitors an enriching cultural experience.