Global printmaking masterpieces on display in Beijing

(ECNS) -- The second Guardian International Print Fair opened on Friday at the Guardian Art Center in Beijing, bringing together works from more than 50 printmaking institutions and galleries from eight countries: China, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, the Netherlands, Germany and Japan.

The fair features classic works by Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt and Katsushika Hokusai, alongside masterpieces by modern artists including Francis Bacon, Zao Wou-Ki and Sanyu. The exhibition also covers a wide range of techniques, including lithography, woodcut, silkscreen, intaglio, and digital printing.

A dedicated print market section has also been set up to provide a platform for print studios and emerging artists to showcase their works.

Organized by the Guardian Art Center and co-organized by Guanlan Original Printmaking Base, VINCI and 100 Studio, the fair aims to establish an internationally influential brand for printmaking and raise the profile of print art within the wider art industry.

Kou Qin, general manager of the Guardian Art Center, said the number of participating institutions and countries has expanded significantly this year. Collector interest had already emerged before the fair opened, reflecting growing appreciation for print art, she said.

Kang Jianfei, exhibition consultant and a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts' printmaking department, said the fair is not only an important effort to promote the development of the print art industry but also a platform for cross-cultural dialogue, helping to integrate Chinese printmaking into the international community.

A white paper on printmaking was also released during the fair, bringing together perspectives from artists, academics, market experts and educators.

At the annual printmakers' award ceremony, Tan Ping, director of the National Center for Contemporary Art under the Chinese National Academy of Arts, received the Outstanding Contribution Award, while Hong Kong-based cross-media artist Joyce Fung received the Emerging Artist Award.

The fair will run through June 21 at the Guardian Art Center on Wangfujing Street in Beijing.

(By Tang Yuxian)