The Grand Tour · 2026 China Academy of Art (CAA) Graduation Season has come to a successful close. Graduates from 20 academic units responded to the times with art and explored the future through creativity, unfolding a youthful narrative of ideals, journeys, and growth across the city and campus, transforming Hangzhou into an open art venue that gathers intellectual power, creativity, and action.
The China Academy of Art is proud to launch the "Youth Insights" series, which continues to focus on topics such as avant-garde experimentation, humanities and technology, rural academies, A better China, rooted construction, people-centered, poetic cinema, visual sinology, Eastern design, and overseas insights. The series closely follows how young creators measure the world with their footsteps and respond to the times with their works. Between every departure and arrival, we jointly witness the grand explorations and boundless possibilities of a new generation of artists.
Summoned by the deep call of civilizational roots and shaped by the dynamic currents of global visuality, the paintings of "visual sinology" range from the cosmological vision of "heaven and humanity as one" in landscape scrolls to the seasonal whispers of flora's cycles in watermarked woodblock prints. Though working across different media, the creators share a common commitment to "bearing witness through images and conveying the Way through art." Whether through the refined brushwork on rice paper that carries the spirit of literati tradition, or the woodblock explorations that preserve cultural heritage, both paths trace the deep grammar of Chinese visual experience. Within a global historical framework, these works are not mere replicas of tradition, but experimental reconstructions—where brush and knife converge—to forge a "visual atlas" that spans scroll and print, uniting the cultivation of the mind with the mastery of craft.
Like-minded souls,no distance can keep them apart
Wang Jiayi
College/School:
School of Chinese Painting
Supervisors:
Lin Jieqing, Pan Wenxun
Medium:
Chinese Painting
Artist Statement
Regardless of era, irrespective of culture, the finest among us share a common thread—their thoughts, passion, courage, and spirit of innovation arise from the same purpose and the same essential heart. The geographical limitations of the past no longer hinder us; today, what we need is a spiritual resonance that transcends boundaries, enabling us to cross distances and reunite. In this work, I bring together outstanding creators from diverse contemporary fields, placing them within the atmospheric context of Chinese freehand brushwork (daxieyi)—telling stories of the world through a Chinese perspective. In a time of global turbulence, I hope to bring a vision of unity and collective aspiration back into the public eye, calling for a new convergence of human civilization at its peak.
Advisor's Message
This ink figure painting series resonates powerfully with the theme of "Grand Tour" (Zhuangyou) of this year's graduation exhibition. It breaks through the narrative boundaries of traditional figure painting, demonstrating both cultural self-awareness and a profound engagement with the contemporary moment. This is a thoughtful and courageous practice in the field of contemporary freehand figure painting. Jiayi has captured the core spirit—"like-minded souls, no distance can keep them apart"—juxtaposing outstanding creators from across the globe within the vast, atmospheric realm of freehand ink painting. By employing traditional brushwork to carry a global narrative, she fulfills the mission of "telling stories of the world through a Chinese perspective," revealing her rare grand vision and deep sense of national and global responsibility.
The figures are rendered with a balanced command of restraint and freedom; the brushwork flows with vigor and fluidity, achieving a harmonious interplay between emptiness and substance, wetness and dryness. Yet there remains room for refinement—for instance, the spatial arrangement of the figures could be further articulated. Overall, what is most commendable about this work is that it accomplishes an effective exploration of the contemporary translation of traditional ink painting, fully demonstrating the creative consciousness of young Academy students who are deeply rooted in tradition while engaging with the wider world. It is an outstanding graduation work that combines intellectual depth, mastery of brushwork, and contemporary significance.
Wang Jiayi
Enrolled in the Department of Chinese Painting at the China Academy of Art in 2022; received her Bachelor's degree in 2026. During her studies, she was the recipient of multiple scholarships, Outstanding Work Awards, and was named an Outstanding Cadet in military training. In June 2026, she received the Lin Fengmian Gold Award for Creation, and her work has been included in the university art museum's permanent collection.
