“Looking Through the East and the West,” a new exhibition of prints from Heilongjiang Art Museum, is being held at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum.

The exhibition features 160 pieces of Shaanxi Fengxiang woodcut prints, Japanese Ukiyo-e woodcut prints and Italian copper prints, dating back to the 17th century.

Fengxiang woodblock prints featuring New Year celebration patterns are regarded by folk experts as one of the best examples of Chinese New Year posters because in the remote and isolated Fengxiang in Northwest China, the prints were scarcely influenced by outside art and thus represent a unique traditional style.

With strong and bright colors, Fengxiang woodprints are made from pear wood, which grows on the north side of Fengxiang Mountain. The exquisite nature of the wood makes it perfect for woodcuts. The Fengxiang woodcut prints can be dated back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and they reached their peak in popularity during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. People created the New Year woodblock prints to ward off evil spirits. After hundreds of years, they have become a symbol of traditional celebrations, bringing happiness to Chinese households.

At the exhibition, Japanese Ukiyo-e woodcut prints of female beauties, warriors, swordsmen and landscapes are presented. The Ukiyo-e genre of art flourished in Japan from the 17th through 19th centuries. A defining feature of most Ukiyo-e prints is a well-defined, bold, flat line while the contours of the colored areas are sharply delineated, usually by the linework.

The exhibited Italian copper prints are monochromatic and focus on religious images. Ancient Italy’s printing techniques include woodcutting, engraving, etching, mezzotint and aquatint.

Dates: Until May 24

Open: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Venue: Guan Shanyue Art Museum, 6026 Hongli Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路6026号关山月美术馆)

Metro: Line 3 or 4, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit B(Cao Zhen)