From December 16, 2022 to January 23, 2023, the First Moscow Gallery of Oriental Painting will host a New Year's exhibition “Rabbit Hole of 1000 Li”, dedicated to the symbol of the coming year according to the Eastern calendar – the Black (Water) Rabbit
1000 Li Rabbit Hole New Year Exhibition
The image of a rabbit, a good symbol of health and harmony, will be presented by the works of two artists, followers of various types of traditional Chinese arts. Viewers will see calligraphy, engravings, xuan silk and paper paintings by Chinese artist Wang Dongmei 王冬梅, as well as traditional Zhuanke stone seals and miniature sculpture by Russian master 古丁北卯 Nikita Strukov, one of the few Europeans who managed to enter the « Top 100 hediao (fruit stone carving) carvers of China».
The exhibits, united by a common concept, offer to penetrate deep into the “rabbit hole”, or, in other words, plunge into the world of centuries-old philosophy, revealing the meaning of the symbol that came from the Middle Kingdom. Rabbit – a very important and multifaceted character of Chinese culture. His image was formed from many legends and myths, rooted in folk rituals, religious cults and philosophical teachings.
What are these myths? What meanings do they carry? Unravel the tangle of time and show how long the interpretation of the symbol of the coming year – one of the main objectives of the exhibition.
“The meaning of the rabbit symbol in Chinese culture is quite different from what we find in European folklore. Introducing visitors to traditional Chinese arts, we talk about oriental symbolism, about a deep inner subtext that holds the key to understanding the worldview and traditions of China, – say the creators of the exhibition.
The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive program of events: guided tours, lectures, master classes and even a concert of Chinese classical music.
Visitors to the exhibition will be able not only to see the works of two creative personalities who came from different cultures – China and Russia, whose union leads to the birth of completely unique views on traditional themes and the embodiment of ideas from an unexpected angle, but also to talk about the history and development of Chinese art.
Guests of the exhibition will get acquainted with the styles of carving stone seals and hear a story about the techniques and rules for making netsuke, try their hand at painting on silk – basis of Chinese fine arts, – the technology of creation of which has passed through the millennia and has reached our days almost unchanged, they will learn what the basic idea of Chinese natural philosophy consists of – the starting point for everything that is characteristic of Chinese culture, including medicine, bagua and feng shui. And of course, they'll get tips on how to celebrate the Chinese New Year to bring lots of good luck!
Grand opening of the exhibition on December 15 (closed event). Beginning at 18:00
Address: Moscow, Maly Kiselny pereulok, 3, p. 2
Schedule and announcements of events on the gallery website: https://mos.gallery/expo/1849/