WITH billions of eyes on the feats of human achievement in Beijing the current interest in China beyond the Olympics has promoted the extension of a series of South Yorkshire exhibitions and events linked to the vast nation.
China in Yorkshire, a region-wide celebration of Chinese identity, umbrellas exhibitions and events devised to explore the influence of Chinese history, culture and art on Western society and showcases the region's most stunning Chinese and Chinoiser
ie collections.
Forming part of those celebrations, The Return of the Ivories exhibition at Museums Sheffield: Graves Gallery features Sheffield's amazing Grice Chinese Ivories collection - one of only two important and internationally renowned collections of Chinese ivories in the UK.
The ivories are displayed alongside The Land of Peach Blossom, a contemporary response to the collection created by artist Gayle Chong Kwan. Due to public response, this stunning display has been extended until January 31 next year.
Sheffield's Grice Chinese Ivories collection comprises more than 150 antique carved pieces dating from the 16th to 20th centuries.
The Chinese community in Sheffield has played a key role in the development of the exhibition, providing personal interpretation and contributing to the religious, social and historical background against which the items were made and collected, both at home and abroad.
Carved in China for over 3000 years elephant ivory was imported from Africa, South-East Asia and India and, during the 1600s, carvings were exported through contact with Portuguese, Dutch and English traders. The port of Canton, on the south coast of China, became the centre of ivory carving both for the domestic market and the growing export market - those exported to Europe included Christian religious images, fans and boxes, as well as traditional Chinese objects such as screens and scent bottles.
Funded by Arts Council England, Yorkshire, Gayle has created a revered response to Sheffield's ivories collection. Taking inspiration from aspects of the mythical land of peach blossoms, items in the ivories collection and ivory carving techniques, she created a new work of a mythical large-scale housing development located high in the mountains and carved in miniature out of used food packaging.
Chong Kwan has shown extensively in the UK and abroad, her work often focusing on exploring histories and memory and the personal and global politics of food and tourism.
CELEBRATE the arts at a weekend music festival in rural Lincolnshire this weekend with The Wolds Collective.
The non-profit making voluntary organisation, which encourages the creative use of reclaimed and restored resources, is staging its EcoFest at. Badger Farm, Asterby, next to the Red Hill Nature Reserve, halfway between Horncastle and Louth.
Sheffield/Rotherham duo Alethiometry, featuring Alex Oliver and Steph Little, are playing at the Small World Festival on Sunday Aug 17, alongside blues singer guitarist King Rollo, Adrian Byron Burns and others. For information call Susi on 01507 343428, mobile 07789 891244 or browse www.woldscollective.co.uk/whats_on.htm
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