Silk Road splendour
Linan Wang, Tong Xu, Yu Zhu, Xuemei Zhang, Ying He, Deborah Delliessi, Neil Henry, Nadine Taylor, Nicola Neilson, and Cressida Bishop at the Dunhuang Art Exhibition closing ceremony. Photo: Supplied.
A glimpse into ancient Silk Road art made its way to Marlborough thanks to the collaborative efforts of art lovers and the local Chinese community.
The Dunhuang Art Exhibition brought seventeen replica murals and sculptures from the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for five days of display at the Marlborough Art Gallery.
The caves near the ancient Silk Road city of Dunhuang hold more than 45,000 sqm of murals and over 2,000 painted sculptures dating from 366 A.D.
Many people from across Marlborough took the chance to see the art across the five-day display.
The closing ceremony, accompanied by traditional Gansu Province music and dance, was attended by Mayor Nadine Taylor, Consul General of China in Christchurch Ying He, Chinese Embassy Cultural Secretary in New Zealand Linan Wang, China Culture Centre Wellington director Tong Xu, Marlborough District Councillor Deborah Dalliessi, Marlborough Multicultural Center’s Margaret Western, and Art Gallery director Cressida Bishop.
“I thank the Marlborough Library and the local Chinese community for their efforts in hosting this exhibition, and I hope the unique cultural and artistic charm of Dunhuang promotes further cultural exchanges”, said Consul He.
Mayor Taylor welcomed expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to provide Marlborough residents with the unique art experience of the Dunhuang Art Exhibition.
Ms. Bridget Omen, one of the visitors, enjoyed the artistic styles and shared that her mother, Gabrielle Hope, who passed away in 1962, was a well-known New Zealand artist who used Chinese brushes to paint.
“It is so good to see that Marlborough embrace multicultural cultures - it creates the environment for people keeping their own culture while embracing Marlborough and contributing to the society”, says New Zealand Chinese Association Marlborough’s Xuemei Zhang.
Xuemei and Marlborough Library’s Duncan MacKenzie, thanked the Chinese Consulate in Christchurch, the China Cultural Centre Wellington, and library staff and volunteers for their assistance.