Chinese scholar joins the Wolves pack

A Chinese Visiting Scholar has joined the University of Wolverhampton pack by decorating two ‘Wolves in Wolves’ sculptures.

Lin Zhao, Deputy Head of Arts at Yanshan University in China, has been working and studying at the University of Wolverhampton School of Art for the past six months. The partnership was initiated by Education for China Ltd who commissioned the wolf sculptures as a lasting symbol of the two Universities working together.

Yanshan University is based in Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China with a student population of 39,000 and a staff population of 3,200.  The University was founded in 1993 and over the past 20 years its School of Art and Design has developed into a comprehensive faculty. 

As well as decorating two ‘Wolves in Wolves’ sculptures, Lin Zhao visited several UK locations including Edinburgh, Cambridge, the Lake District and London creating an exhibition of landscape watercolour paintings focusing on buildings and architecture.

Lin Zhao said:  “I am very grateful to the University of Wolverhampton for the chance to display my paintings at my first solo exhibition in the UK.  Wolverhampton is a city with great charm and the Wolverhampton School of Art has a great heritage.

“When decorating the wolves I used ancient Chinese symbolism and cultural characters, including a cloud and a dragon and references to the sun and moon.  I chose the colour red which is lucky in China. There is also an image of the Great Wall of China incorporated into the design which starts in Yanshan.  I hope the design gives people of Wolverhampton a flavour of my country.”

Dr Paul Darke, Chief Executive of the Outside Centre, said:  “Getting the ‘Wolves in Wolves’ involved in this University partnership with China has been a pleasure and an honour for us.  It’s wonderful to see that the wolves have the potential to travel further afield.”

Dominique Nield, International Partnerships and Programmes Manager at the University, said:  “The relationship we have with Yanshan will hopefully grow and future collaborations with them will mean students can come to us and we can send students out there.

“We hope that this is the start of a long and mutually beneficial partnership.”

The University of Wolverhampton has signed an official agreement with Yanshan University in China to further strengthen partnership ties with the country.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlines the willingness of both parties to continually develop a collaborative partnership by exchanging information such as publications, scientific research, student training programmes, staff exchanges and to hold academic conferences in the fields of arts and science.

Education for China Ltd facilitated the introductions between the two Universities.

The ‘Wolves in Wolves’ sculpture trail was the brain child of Dr Paul Darke, and was the largest public art exhibition and trail to have taken place in the City with 30 locally made, designed and installed Wolves sculptures and over 60 miniature wolves painted by local schools, groups and artists.

ENDS

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Date Issued: 14^th December 2017