How are contemporary artists, east and west, conveying and transforming the soul, philosophy and aesthetics of the Chinese classical tradition as they create their own work today? Which traces of the old ink of centuries past are inspirational still? This unique event will bring together well-known contemporary artists from Beijing, Dublin and London who will explore one another's work and ideas in pairs: Literary artists Yang Lian and Romesh Gunesekera; Visual artists Qu Lei Lei and Denis Brown; Performing artists Zeng Laide and Rohan De Saram.

 

The artists will explore the creative links between the classical and the contemporary. 'Classical' here refers specifically to ancient Chinese culture passed down over two thousand years through literature, calligraphy and painting. 'Contemporary' refers in the broadest sense to creative work in the arts, both in the east and the west. Each pair, with one artist originally from China and the other from outside the Chinese world, will interpret China's rich past for a modern audience in an experimental environment.

 

The event will coincide with the exhibition 'Mountains and Water: Chinese Landscape Painting' (9 February – 28 August 2005) in gallery 91 of the British Museum.

 

The event will take place in the BP Lecture Theatre on Saturday 18 June, 14.00–18.00

Tickets are £10, concessions £8

To book call the Box Office on 020 7323 8181 or book online

 

Participant biographies

 

Yang Lian (poet) was one of the first group of young 'underground' Chinese poets after the Cultural Revolution who published the influential literary magazine Jintian. He became a poet in exile after the Tiananmen massacre. Since then he has continued to write and speak out as a highly individual voice in world literature, politics and culture. He has published many books of poetry, prose and essays. He won the Flaiano Prize (Italy, 1999) and his book Where the Sea Stands Still: New Poems won the title 'Poetry Books Society Recommended Translation' (UK, 1999). His new book Concentric Circles will be published by Bloodaxe Books in 2005.

 

Romesh Gunesekera (writer) grew up in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, and now lives in London. He is the author of three novels: Heaven's Edge, The Sandglass and Reef (shortlisted for the 1994 Booker Prize and the Guardian Fiction Prize). His first book, Monkfish Moon (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year), was a collection of short stories. His literary awards include the BBC's inaugural Asia Award for Writing and Literature, a Yorkshire Post Book Award, a Premio Mondello Five Continents award in Italy and several poetry prizes.  In 2003 he visited China as a member of the British Council's Writers' Train travelling on a 10,000 km journey around China with other British and Chinese writers. www.romeshgunesekera.com

 

Qu Lei Lei (visual artist) was a founding member of the Stars Art Movement in the 1970s, the influential group of artists who fought for freedom of expression within the arts after the Cultural Revolution. He came to London in 1985, and has spent the past twenty years studying, creating new works, lecturing and exhibiting worldwide. He has recently published three books: The Simple Art of Chinese Calligraphy (2002), The Simple Art of Chinese Brush Painting (2004) and The Simple Art of Tai Chi (2004). In March 2005 his paintings will be displayed at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, at the solo exhibition 'Everyone's life is an epic'.

 

Denis Brown (visual artist) is an artist working in Dublin. Inspired by Irish manuscripts such as The Book of Kells, he embarked on a rigorous formal training in traditional calligraphy in London. In 1988 he was elected as a Fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators, London: the first Fellow from Ireland and, at twenty years of age, the youngest Fellow in the history of the SSI. He is now producing experimental work: both in glass and digital format. He has has won awards and commissions on four continents, and is internationally recognized as a world leader in the field of letter arts. www.quillskill.com

 

Zeng Laide (calligrapher) was born in Sichuan and is now Professor at the Academy of Chinese Painting, Beijing. He is one of China's most dynamic and innovative calligraphers, enjoying exhibitions nationwide. In 1999 he set up the Zeng Laide Arts Centre in Beijing, where he now has his studio. For the British Museum's 'Music of Ink' event he will make a special performance of brush-calligraphy to string-music.

 

Rohan De Saram (musician) is one of the world's leading cellists. He was born in Britain, and spent the first ten years of his life in Sri Lanka, before going to Italy to study the cello with Gaspar Cassado. At the age of seventeen he was awarded the Suggia award to study with Pablo Casals and John Barbirolli. He has played as soloist with the major orchestras and leading conductors of the world, and has worked closely with many composers, including Kodaly, Shostakovich, Poulenc, Walton, Xenakis and Berio. He is also well known to audiences through his work in contemporary music (the Arditti String Quartet), Eastern music, improvised music, and in solo and chamber music recitals with piano as well as other instruments.