On July 6, Blooming – The Chinese Painting Section of the 3rd National University Students Fine Arts Exhibition grandly opened as scheduled at the CAFA Art Museum. As a national comprehensive fine arts exhibition, the National University Students Fine Arts Exhibition has run two sessions since its inauguration in 2017. The 3rd iteration is sponsored by the China Artists Association and organized by the Art Center of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. The Central Academy of Fine Arts undertakes the Chinese Painting Section of this exhibition and hosts the opening ceremony as the first venue.
Nearly 300 selected artworks from more than 100 universities across China’s 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities are featured in the exhibition. The show unfolds its narrative through four thematic chapters: New Visions of the Times, Lives of Ordinary People, Sentiments in Flowers and Birds, and Cultural Heritage of Mountains and Rivers. Together, they depict a rich, multi-layered artistic landscape of contemporary Chinese painting creation in the new era.
Distinguished guests attending the opening ceremony included senior veteran professors of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, namely Lou Jiaben, Sun Jingbo, Tang Yongli, Su Baijun, Cui Xiaodong, Wang Shujie, Li Yang and others. Key guests from the exhibition’s organizer and undertaker institutions were as follows: Zhu Di, Member of the Party Leadership Group, Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Qu Jian, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Standing Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association; Wang Ping, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Secretary-General of the China Artists Association; Lin Lan, Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association and Party Secretary of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts; Zhu Hongzi, Member of the Party Leadership Group, Deputy Secretary-General and First-Class Inspector of the China Artists Association; Du Songru, Deputy Director of the Art Center of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Representatives of the leadership of the Central Academy of Fine Arts were present: Lin Mao, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Wu Qiang, Deputy Party Secretary and Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection; Zhang Zhubo, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President. Other honored attendees covered Tian Zhongli, Deputy Party Secretary and President of Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, Director of the Illustration and Binding Art Committee of the China Artists Association; Xu Fushan, Vice President of the Chinese National Academy of Arts; Wu Hongliang, Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, President of Beijing Painting Academy, Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the Curatorial Committee of the China Artists Association; Li Gang, Vice President of Harbin Normal University; Chen Ming, Director of the Theoretical Research Institute of the China National Academy of Painting and Member of the Theory and Curatorial Committee of the China Artists Association. Also in attendance were academic leaders specializing in Chinese painting from universities nationwide, as well as heads of all teaching, research and administrative departments of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Yu Yang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, presided over the opening ceremony.
Speech by Lin Mao, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts
In his address, Lin Mao, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), stated that the National University Students Fine Arts Exhibition, first held in 2017 and refined through two previous editions, has grown into an authoritative national platform linking fine arts education at universities with the country’s fine arts industry. Countless young artists who debuted through this platform have now become backbones of university art teaching and frontline practitioners delivering aesthetic education at grassroots levels. Today, we gather at CAFA Art Museum to witness the opening of the Chinese Painting Section, the first venue of the 3rd National University Students Fine Arts Exhibition. This moment not only carries forward the original aspiration of the prior two exhibitions, but also embodies the cultural mission and responsibility of the times that CAFA, a pacesetter of China’s higher fine arts education, must shoulder. Titled Blooming, this exhibition bears rich and far-reaching implications. For young student artists, "blooming" means the first unfolding of artistic talent, the collision of diverse ideas, and the most vibrant, splendid form of life.
Since its founding, CAFA has taken Chinese painting teaching as the foundation of aesthetic education, developing a distinctive teaching system that integrates tradition, life and creation as a three-in-one framework, and closely combines copying classical works, sketching from life and independent creation. The Academy has faithfully acted on the guidance for aesthetic education laid out in General Secretary Xi Jinping’s reply to its veteran professors, advanced the Aesthetic China Initiative, strived to foster an all-encompassing "Extensive Fine Arts" landscape, and promoted in-depth integration of campus aesthetic education and public aesthetic education. This exhibition shows that contemporary college students consciously root their creations in life and the people. Whether depicting grand narratives of social development or capturing the warm trivialities of ordinary civilian life, their works embody a precious sense of on-site presence. Standing in the new era, higher fine arts education faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges. Taking this exhibition as a new starting point, CAFA will continue to deepen educational and teaching reforms. We will guide young students to draw nourishment from fine traditional Chinese culture and strengthen their cultural confidence. Meanwhile, we encourage them to embrace the times and dare to innovate, so that the voices of young Chinese artists can resonate amid global cultural exchanges and mutual learning.
Speech by Jin Jun, Director of CAFA Art Museum
Jin Jun, Director of CAFA Art Museum, stated that the National University Students Fine Arts Exhibition is a high-standard, widely covered and highly authoritative national grand exhibition for young artists in China. It serves as a core platform for the China Artists Association to discover young artistic talents and consolidate the foundation of higher art education. The Chinese Painting Section of this exhibition is undertaken by the Central Academy of Fine Arts, with CAFA Art Museum overseeing the entire implementation process. Since the call for entries opened in March 2026, the exhibition has received more than 4,400 Chinese painting submissions from across the country. After three rounds of reviews, nearly 300 works were selected, among which 69 pieces were brought to Beijing for display. Through the joint efforts of the museum team and various departments of the Academy, a high-end exhibition platform has been built for contemporary young Chinese painting creators. Notably, the exhibition opens right after CAFA’s graduation season. It not only extends the artistic fervor of graduation shows, but also serves as an important venue for exchanging achievements of higher art education nationwide. Outstanding students from all over the country gather here with their accumulated thinking and creative passion nurtured on campus. This seamless connection not only sustains the artistic upsurge, but also makes this venue a focal point for youth art across China. In the future, the Art Museum will keep leveraging its strengths to build a growth platform for young artistic talents, enabling their artistic explorations to resonate with the pulse of the times. It is hoped that every visitor to CAFA Art Museum can perceive the upward vitality taking root across China within these vivid brushstrokes, as well as the passionate and sincere artistic hearts of young creators in the new era.
Speech by Peng Jinhui
Doctoral Candidate of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Student Representative of Exhibitors in the Chinese Painting Section
Peng Jinhui, doctoral candidate at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and student representative of exhibitors in the Chinese Painting Section, delivered a speech on behalf of all young student artists. She expressed sincere gratitude to the organizers and undertakers of the exhibition. The event has built a high-level platform for young art students to showcase works and exchange ideas, making every participant fully aware of their mission to inherit and carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture.
She said she felt extremely honored to exhibit her works here. This opportunity not only recognizes her years of practice in copying ancient paintings, sketching from life, reading extensively and artistic reflection, but also serves as a driving force for further creation. Young creators should hold traditions in reverence and delve deep into classical painting techniques. Meanwhile, they need to observe and reflect on real life from a contemporary perspective, and pursue innovation based on the enduring cultural lineage. This exhibition gathers youthful artistic creations and forms a grand forum for ideological exchange. She looks forward to learning from fellow young artists nationwide and making progress together. She will uphold artistic ideals with wholehearted sincerity, and interpret the artistic pursuits of young people in the new era through brush and ink.
Speech by Qu Jian, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Standing Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association
Qu Jian, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Standing Vice Chairman of the China Artists Association, stated that young people are the future of fine arts. Launched in 2017, the National University Students Fine Arts Exhibition has grown into a preeminent national platform dedicated to discovering young artistic talents and advancing exchanges in higher fine arts education. Themed Blooming, this exhibition symbolizes the vigorous emergence and artistic blossoming of young students after sustained accumulation and refinement, vividly embodying the uplifting spirit of young art practitioners in the new era. As the debut section of the exhibition, the Chinese Painting Section received over 4,400 submissions nationwide, with nearly 300 works selected for exhibition. The acceptance rate of less than ten percent demonstrates the rigorous selection standards and the profound expectations embodied in the exhibited works.
The Chinese Painting Section presents a vibrant youthful atmosphere that inherits fine traditions while pursuing bold innovation. Grounded in solid traditional brush-and-ink techniques, young creators integrate real-life social observations into their creations, depicting the panorama of Chinese modernization through classical painting. They pursue individualized artistic expressions in brushwork, composition and color application. Though marked with academic exploration, these works deliver sharp problem awareness, sincere cultural consciousness and vigorous innovative vitality, injecting strong confidence into the inheritance and development of Chinese painting. Moving forward, the China Artists Association will continue to support young artistic talents with pragmatic measures, inclusive visions and systematic arrangements to broaden their career development paths. It is hoped that young artists will embrace the spirit of the exhibition theme Bloom and shine with unique artistic radiance on the new journey of building a culturally prosperous China.
Zhu Di, Member of the Party Leadership Group, Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles,
officially announced the opening of the exhibition
Yu Yang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts,
presided over the opening ceremony
The exhibition narrative is structured around four sections of the Chinese Painting Zone. Ranging from grand epics of the times to delicate care for individuals, from natural scenery and creations to magnificent mountains, rivers and long histories, these sections together form a rich, multi-faceted artistic panorama of Chinese painting by young creators in the new era. They carry the young artists’ intellectual journeys, emotional expressions and inner monologues of the soul.
The exhibition will remain open until August 2. We look forward to your visit to experience the vibrant artistic "blooming" of young student artists!
Blooming – The 3rd National Fine Arts Exhibition of College Students
Chinese Painting Section
Exhibition Period: July 7 – August 2, 2026
Venue: CAFA Art Museum
Organizer: China Artists Association
Undertakers: Fine Arts Center of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Central Academy of Fine Arts
Organizing Committee of the Exhibition Section
Directors: Xu Yang, Lin Mao
Deputy Directors: Wang Xiaolin, Lü Pinjing, Wu Qiang, Zhang Zhubo, Yu Yang
Project Director: Yu Yang
Committee Members: Jin Jun, Qiu Ting, Lin Xiaochu, Ge Yujun, Fu Yijing, Xu Xinli, Gao Zhenbin, Shan Yingxian, Tan Jiaxin, Dong Ran, Yang Ye, Wang Lei, Shi Wenjie
Director of the Committee Office: Jin Jun
Deputy Director of the Committee Office: Gao Gao
Exhibition Implementation Team of China Artists Association
Du Songru, Sun Ning, Hu Ying, Zhang Luo, Wu Liya, Li Fang, Zhao Qi
CAFA Exhibition Implementation Team
Exhibition Directors: Jin Jun, Han Wenchao, Qiu Ting, Du Yicai
Exhibition Coordination Managers: Gao Gao, Hai Jun, Li Yaochen, Wang Xiuling, Xu Hualing, Liao Qin
Exhibition Coordinators: Liu Xiyan, Liu Yuhan, Li Jie, Xu Zuoqiang, Li Jiang, Bian Kai, Zhao Yue, Peng Jinhui
Exhibition Administrators: Wu Peng, Su Shicun, Jing Peng, Lü Zhifa
Exhibition Assistants: Wang Cong, Luo Keke, Zhang Shurong, Luo Ruofan, Cheng Ruoxu, Wu Siyan,
Fan Qiyan, Tang Ziyu, Liu Mingqi, Wu Yiyang, Zhang Kan, Chen Guanshi
Exhibition Designers: Min Zhiyi, Li Qiang, Wu Jiangtao, Wang Chaojing
Media & Publicity: He Yisha, Wu Jing, He Yifei, Du Yinzhu, Ding Yi, Guo Hongmei, Sun Xiaomeng, Peng Yuxin
Public Education: Xiao Baozhen, Geng Jinghua, Wang Jun, Yao Yiqun, Liang Wen, Cai Meng
Finance & Administration: Yang Liu, Men Jing
Development & Promotion: Sun Wei, Yi Yi, Jin Jianru, Kou Lei, Liu Xingling
Administrative Support: Jiang Siyu, Yue Junyao, Zhang Qian, Guo Xu, Chen Xiaohua, Cao Yuxuan
Editor-in-Chief: He Yisha
Responsible Editor: Du Yinzhu
On-site Photographs: He Yifei
