Whispers of Blooming Grace: Zhu Jieyan’s Lotus World
Chinese Painting Exhibition × Public Education & Material-Based Workshops
Project Type
Solo Exhibition / Public Education Programme / Material-Based Art Workshop
Time & Location
25 January – 1 February 2024
Chaozhou Cultural Centre, Guangdong, China
Artist
Zhu Jieyan
Organisers
Nanchun Middle School, Chaozhou
Supporting Institutions
Chaozhou Cultural Centre
Chaozhou Yasi Kiln
Chaozhou Song-style Woodcraft
Co-organised by
Escape Art Club (EAC)
Role
Public Education Programme Designer
Cai Boxuan (Boosen Tsai)
Background
Whispers of Blooming Grace is a solo exhibition by Chinese ink painter Zhu Jieyan, centred on lotus imagery as both an aesthetic subject and a vehicle for personal, spiritual, and gendered expression. Over a decade of sustained practice, the artist has cultivated a “lotus world” that moves beyond conventional literati symbolism, reinterpreting the lotus as a figure of feminine strength, resilience, and inner cultivation.
While rooted in traditional Chinese painting, the exhibition deliberately positioned itself within a contemporary cultural context, exploring how classical aesthetics can remain alive through dialogue with sound, material processes, and audience participation .
Description
In addition to exhibition presentation, the project placed strong emphasis on public education as an integral curatorial layer. Escape Art Club was invited to design and implement a series of participatory programmes that embedded contemporary learning experiences within a traditional ink painting exhibition.
As Visual Director and Public Education Programme Designer, Cai Boxuan developed interpretive frameworks that translated abstract aesthetic concepts into tactile, experiential encounters. These included:
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Mineral Pigment-Making Workshop, guiding participants through the full transformation of raw stone into pigment, foregrounding the material origins of traditional Chinese painting colours
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Permanent Mineral Pigment Display, enabling audiences to observe pigment-making processes throughout the exhibition period
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“Reimagining the Lotus” Collage Station, encouraging audiences to deconstruct and reassemble reproductions of the artist’s works, shifting viewers from passive spectators to active co-creators
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Guqin & Painting Music Salon, creating a multisensory dialogue between sound, image, and spatial perception
Rather than functioning as supplementary activities, these programmes formed a cohesive educational ecosystem that allowed audiences—especially local youth and students—to enter Chinese aesthetics through touch, sound, and making .
Outcomes
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Delivered a solo exhibition integrating traditional ink painting with contemporary public education strategies
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Designed and executed material-based workshops bridging art, craft, and cultural heritage
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Enabled youth and general audiences to engage Chinese painting through hands-on experience
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Demonstrated a replicable model for embedding public education within classical art exhibitions
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Strengthened collaboration between independent art collectives and public cultural institutions
Keywords
Chinese Ink Painting · Public Education · Material Culture · Mineral Pigments · Feminine Aesthetics · Audience Engagement · Intangible Cultural Heritage · Contemporary Exhibition Practice