What creates a connection between the representative art of the Renaissance and Baroque periods and the anime/manga culture beloved by contemporary middle school students? How can one appreciate the charm of 17th- and 18th-century Dutch still-life oil paintings while understanding classical Chinese art? How can Chinese artistic elements and East Asian culture be harmoniously integrated? How can traditional Chinese paper-cutting techniques be used to interpret Western themes? How can mosaics originating from ancient Rome be applied to painting creation?
Here, we have selected some works from the "Fusion & Collision" art exhibition to analyze their sources of inspiration, re-creation concepts, and the art history knowledge involved. This will help everyone better understand the goals of our exhibition: to help students learn about classical artworks, acquire art history knowledge, express their understanding of artistic classics in their own ways, and internalize this into a pursuit of artistic creation.
The First Step
Referenced Classical Artwork: Adriano Cecioni's "The First Step"
This sculpture was created by Italian artist Adriano Cecioni (1836-1886). The work is titled "Primo Passo" (meaning "The First Step"), depicting the emotional moment of a child taking their first step in life. It was created approximately in the late 19th century, during the later period of Cecioni's career, roughly in the 1880s.
Adriano Cecioni (July 26, 1836 - May 23, 1886) was an important 19th-century Italian artist and a core member of the renowned "Macchiaioli" movement. Cecioni was not only a painter and sculptor but also a talented caricaturist and art critic. He is considered the theorist of the Macchiaioli group, providing crucial theoretical support for this Italian realist art movement.
Re-creation Concept: This photograph was taken at the Pitti Palace Gallery in Florence, Italy. I was immediately drawn to this adorable child. Cecioni's sculptural works are often filled with the essence of daily life and are remarkably humorous and vivid, as exemplified by this piece. During my creative process, I tried diligently to capture the expression of this young child, bringing out their surprised and endearingly innocent appearance.
David
Referenced Classical Artwork: Michelangelo's "David"
"David" is an immortal masterpiece by Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo, created between 1501 and 1504. Michelangelo chose to depict the moment when David decides to face battle—capturing humanity's tension and determination when confronting challenges. As a result, this sculpture became a symbol of Florence's strength.
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) was one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance. He excelled at expressing the power and beauty of the human form, with his works filled with dramatic tension.
Re-creation Concept: "David" is currently housed in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, Italy, where it serves as the museum's crown jewel. The sense of power is not only the core artistic characteristic of the "David" sculpture but also Michelangelo's personal preference in artistic creation. For this reason, my re-creation also attempts to preserve and embody David's sense of strength.
Medusa
Referenced Classical Artwork: Caravaggio's "Medusa"
This artwork displayed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence is titled "Medusa," painted by the renowned Italian artist Caravaggio (born Michelangelo Merisi) around 1597. This painting was executed in oil directly on a ceremonial wooden parade shield and is one of the most representative works of Baroque art. The work takes the severed head of Medusa from Greek mythology as its subject, conveying intense dramatic tension and visceral fear.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), commonly known simply as Caravaggio, was one of the most important painters of the Italian Baroque period.
Re-creation Concept: In my re-creation of "Medusa," I strived to highlight the mysterious and terrifying characteristics of this famous Greek mythological monster while simultaneously expressing her beauty. The goal was to showcase the combination of beauty and horror.
The First Step
Oil painting style version
David
Oil painting style version
Medusa
Oil painting style version
Dunhuang Mural Art
The Dunhuang murals represent the rooting, development, and flourishing of Buddhism in China. This painting is a creative reinterpretation drawing upon decorative elements from the murals of the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang, with a painting style approaching the magnificent complexity of Tang Dynasty Dunhuang frescoes. At the center of the composition, the lotus bearing a flaming pearl is a quintessential element of Buddhist art. In Dunhuang murals, the lotus symbolizes purity, enlightenment, and immaculate integrity rising from the mud; the flame motifs represent the light of Buddha, divine power, and the fire of wisdom. The painting employs the classic color palette of Dunhuang murals: azurite blue/turquoise (blue-green), ochre/earth yellow (mineral pigment style), cinnabar red/orange-red, and deep brown. Analysis of the decorative motifs in the painting: scrolling foliage—the flowing plant patterns throughout the composition; circular ornaments—the continuous patterns at the bottom resembling the border decorations of Dunhuang ceiling coffers; symmetrical composition—the aesthetic of balance commonly found in Buddhist art.
East-West Fusion in Digital Illustration
This is a digital illustration of distinctive style, depicting a scene where a cat quietly contemplates a fountain beneath blossoming magnolias, evoking an atmosphere both serene and dreamlike. The artist has skillfully merged Western urban landscape (the fountain plaza) with the Eastern artistic conception of flowers and birds (magnolias, a contemplative animal): in spatial treatment, the "spirit resonance" (qiyun) characteristic of Chinese painting envelops the geometric Western architecture; in chromatic language, the transparency of Western watercolor combines with the subtle elegance of Eastern ink wash; in compositional logic, Western depth perspective unites with the Eastern principle of "poetry within painting."
In the image, the cat sits with its back to the viewer, gazing quietly at the fountain. This posture constructs a dual gaze: the cat observes the world, while we observe the cat observing the world. This relationship between "observer and observed" fuses the Western "aesthetics of the back figure" in the manner of Caspar David Friedrich (German Romanticism) with the Eastern Zen Buddhist concepts of "contemplation" and "meditative observation."
Using Western urban landscape as the stage and Eastern floral poetry as the soul, the artist has created, through a contemplating cat, a poetic space that transcends cultural boundaries. The artist draws upon Western techniques of perspective and chiaroscuro while preserving the Eastern artistic pursuit of expressive emptiness and evocative atmosphere, achieving a dual fusion of form and spirit.
As scissors dance across xuan paper, the silhouette of a Greek goddess gradually emerges with clarity. She is not a specific god, but rather a personification of classical beauty. I deliberately cut a piece of flowing fabric in her hands—it could be the graceful sweep of a cape or the soft beauty of a gauze scarf, infusing the still image with the dynamic movement of wind.
This Western deity crafted through Eastern artistry is like a dialogue transcending time and space. When the paper-cutting is placed against glass and light filters through the intricate cutwork, the solemnity of mythology merges with the delicate spirit of paper-cutting art, creating an aesthetic experience that is both familiar and novel.
Inspired by the storyline of Sun and Moon in Tandem, with talismans at its core: The talisman clutched tightly by the child serves as a concrete symbol of the "magic system" in the manga, corresponding to the work's setting of traditional folk sorcery. The vintage tone conveyed through old clothing and crowds aligns with the manga's style that fuses classical supernatural tales with modern historical backgrounds. The impressionistic washes in the brushwork not only capture the manga's Chinese aesthetic essence but also transform the talisman—this carrier of folk culture—into a bridge connecting fictional magic with authentic traditional folklore, precisely echoing the work's core theme of cultural fusion.
Based on the Tarot card "Temperance" (XIV), this work incorporates the wash techniques of Chinese ink painting, allowing the Western Tarot symbols (the XIV card) to blend with Eastern impressionistic aesthetics. Using Liu Xiao from Link Click as the foundation, it preserves the mystical narrative of Tarot while employing the negative space and freehand expression of ink painting, enabling both cultures to achieve a "Temperance"-like balance within the composition.
With Eastern martial arts culture as its soul: the bound hair and wide-sleeved Hanfu embody the classic imagery of Chinese warriors, while the dynamic sword-wielding stance captures the ethereal grace of traditional wuxia. At the same time, it employs Japanese anime-style linework to outline the contours, while the blue ink wash incorporates Chinese impressionistic techniques—preserving the spirit of Eastern martial arts while using modern artistic style to give traditional warrior culture a lighter expression. This design creates a natural resonance between classical heroic spirit and contemporary aesthetics within the composition.
"Blossoming in pain" echoes the characteristics of "aesthetic of brokenness" in East Asian culture, like the poignant beauty of cherry blossoms' fleeting bloom or the delicate empathy of "mono no aware" in ukiyo-e. The red thread piercing through, flowers blooming from the spine—these represent Eastern philosophy that transforms trauma into poetry. Pain is not an ending but rather life's gentle gesture of weaving cultural romance at the site of wounds, like the restraint and passion hidden within kimono patterns.
This work has very distinctive characteristics. Countless reinterpretations exist of Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night" (also known as "The Starry Night"). This work preserves the most typical line and color characteristics of the original, adopting a minimalist painting style to depict a scene where a figure walks on a bridge composed of moonlight, attempting to question the true meaning of life.
The addition of the phoenix, a traditional Chinese totem, combines with the original imagery to create a unique artistic conception that blends classical and cartoon elements. Despite this fusion of different cultural and stylistic elements, the composition appears remarkably harmonious without any sense of incongruity.
In black and white mosaic, an ancient Roman craft, the bones of a cat take shape. Perspective—or illusion?
Rowena Ravenclaw—one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series. Ravenclaw House is named after her and represents wisdom and wit.
My Intelligent Forest
This is a story about coevolution:
In my forest, every tree is like a tiny neuron, and every leaf is a data node. Underground, the mycelium glows with fluorescence, weaving an invisible internet. The patterns on the old moss mirror the precision of a circuit board. Nature and code are no longer opposites—they intertwine, breathing together, building a shared home.
Artist's Statement:
The artist employs the style of children's picture book illustration to explore the theme of symbiosis between modern technology and nature. Children's picture book illustration is a unique art form that blends artistry, educational value, and narrative storytelling. It is characterized by vivid and rich use of color, exaggerated yet simplified forms, and compositions that are intuitive and easy to read.
This art form evolved from its origins as an educational tool in the 17th century—Czech educator John Amos Comenius's Orbis Pictus (The Visible World in Pictures), widely regarded as the first illustrated book designed specifically for children—into a genre that now holds both aesthetic value and the power to inspire the soul. At its core, the purpose has always remained the same: to communicate with children's hearts through visual language.