Latest news with #Xuan
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Bridge connecting worlds: Wu Guanzhong's art lands in Seoul
Nadia Lau, curator at HKMoA, shares legacy of Chinese art master who united modern and contemporary, Eastern and Western art In the painting "Snow-covered Mountain," Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong (1919-2010) left blank large areas of Xuan paper, a traditional Chinese handmade paper. The untouched whiteness of the paper evokes snow-covered mountains in striking contrast with black ink. The work hints at the Chinese art master's philosophical approach to ink wash painting. 'Ink, when applied to Xuan paper, exudes a vibrant spirit thanks to the strong contrast between black and white. White plays a commanding role in traditional Chinese painting,' the artist, whose works are on display at the exhibition 'Wu Guanzhong: Between Black & White' running at Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum at Seoul Arts Center, once said. The exhibition, which opened July 25, is the master's first solo show in Seoul, bringing together 17 selected paintings from the Hong Kong Museum of Art. A larger exhibition of Wu's works in Hong Kong attracted more than 570,000 visitors last year, according to HKMoA. Highlights of the exhibition include Wu's depictions of Jiangnan, his homeland in eastern China, in 'Reminiscences of Jiangnan' that only shows colors of black, silver gray and white. Wu depicts houses with transparent washes and minimal lines while a few swallows subtly lead the viewers from abstraction to figuration. 'This interplay between abstract and figurative elements embodies Wu's artistic ideal: maintaining a slender link to everyday life in abstract art, like a 'kite that keeps its connection by the thread,'' said Nadia Lau, a curator at HKMoA, in an interview with The Korea Herald via email. Among the works on view, Lau picked 'Reminiscences of Jiangnan' as one that best represents Wu's artistic world. What makes the exhibition resonate even more with viewers is that Wu's works reveal how the artist struggled and agonized over his works, blending Eastern and Western artistic traditions after returning to China from Paris in the early 1950s. He persisted despite criticism leveled against his works. 'He diligently pursued his vision of modernizing Chinese ink wash painting and nationalizing oil painting. By infusing Eastern sentiments with Western aesthetics, he blazed a trail for modern Chinese painting,' Lau said. The silvery gray-toned oil painting 'Waterway,' reminiscent of ink wash painting, depicts his hometown with some colorful dots that look like pearls and gems. The painting shows how his art evolved, encompassing different artistic practices in his own unique visual language. 'He once remarked -- 'Ink is a river, and oil is a parallel road,' symbolizing his alternating journeys across these mediums (ink and oil). Wu sought to build a bridge through his artistic creations, one that connected the East and the West, common people and experts, figurative and abstract,' the curator said. HKMoA has a collection of more than 450 works by Wu, donated by the artist and his family. The Hong Kong and Seoul exhibitions were supported by a sponsorship of 100 million Hong Kong dollars ($12.7 million) from Wu Keyu, the son of the artist, according to the museum. Wu had a strong literary sensibility as well, shown in the texts that accompany some of his paintings. For him, painting and writing were inseparable forms of creative expression, and he was known to have been greatly influenced by the Chinese writer Lu Xun. 'As the tides of the art world rise and fall, life persists. Perhaps my eyesight gradually dims and ages, but my inner vision becomes ever brighter. I persist in observing, painting and writing, leaving behind genuine reflections of a wandering soul,' writing elucidates next to the painting 'Downs and Up.' At the end of the exhibition is a multimedia immersive art installation, inspired by Wu's works and created by Hong Kong-based artist Chris Cheung, in collaboration with artificial intelligence. The exhibition, running through Oct. 19, is a prelude to Hong Kong Week 2025@Seoul, which kicks off on Sept. 26, offering 14 performances, film screenings, outdoor shows, fashion design and other events, connecting creative talent from Hong Kong and Seoul. yunapark@
The Star
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Vietnam, Vatican seek to deepen bilateral ties
ROME: Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, on Monday (July 1), during her working visit to Italy, paid a courtesy call on Pope Leo XIV (pic) at the Vatican, highlighting the growing momentum in Vietnam–Vatican relations. Pope Leo welcomed the meeting and noted the positive progress in bilateral ties, including the recent upgrade to the status of the Resident Representative of the Holy See in Vietnam. He voiced support for further exchanges through the Vietnam – Holy See Joint Working Group, aiming to strengthen cooperation in line with the aspirations of Vietnamese Catholics and the interests of both sides. Vice President Xuan congratulated the Pope on his recent election and reaffirmed Vietnam's commitment to fostering relations with the Holy See. She praised the guidance and messages delivered by successive Popes to the Catholic Church in Vietnam and called on Pope Leo to continue encouraging the Church's engagement in national development. The Vice President also conveyed invitations from Vietnam's leaders to the Pope and the Holy See's officials to visit the country. In response, Pope Leo expressed his appreciation for the invitations and affirmed his wish to visit the South-East Asian nation, aiming to demonstrate solidarity with the Vietnamese Catholic Church and community, and to further strengthen Vietnam–Vatican relations. The same day, Xuan held talks with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States. She proposed maintaining the effectiveness of the Joint Working Group mechanism and called for continued collaboration between the Holy See's Resident Representative and Vietnamese authorities in fulfilling pastoral missions. Vietnam will continue facilitating pastoral visits, she said. Archbishop Gallagher congratulated Vietnam on its socio-economic achievements and welcomed recent positive developments in bilateral relations. He appreciated Vietnam's religious policies and affirmed the Vatican's willingness to boost ties and support future high-level exchanges. The two sides also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. — Vietnam News/ANN
The Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Nova Esports win first MY Honor of Kings League!
NOVA ESPORTS is the first MY Honor of Kings League champion! The first professional national league was hosted offline for the first time at Sunway Pyramid from 6 - 8 June, where six teams ignited the arena with fiery, neck-to-neck matches, much to the delight of the local crowd. Fiery grand finals showdown The Grand Finals saw Nova Esports clash in a best-of-seven against Black Shrew Esport, and in a surprising turn of events, both teams almost chose the same hero matchups in the Ultimate Battle. In a best-of-seven Match series, the Ultimate Battle will commence if the Match is tied 3-3 after Game 6. Players must choose the same hero and use the challenger spells submitted during Game 7 in a Normal 5v5 mode with no Bans, and coaches are placed under a tight time restriction to choose their hero lineup. In the leadup before the Ultimate Battle, the Global Ban&Pick format was applied to ensure that each hero could only be selected once per match series by each team, with a total of four bans per game. Nova Esports was the mightier squad and came prepared. NOVA. Xuan's skillful use of Dharma landed him the FVMP title, and the team emerged with the final score of 4-3. 'This is a momentous step for us as we mark history as the first local champions,' stated Nicholas 'NOVA. Xuan' Ng, 'This win is dedicated to all of our supporters who have stood steadfast by us, and we hope to make them proud once again at KWC 2025.' Nova Esports and Black Shrew Esport will turn the heat up once again at KWC 2025, along with AG Global. 7GL ignites in-game with new announcer pack Showcased at the MY Honor of Kings League (MKL) Spring 2025 Playoffs, 7GL made a special appearance and featured the first-ever Announcer Pack for HOK Malaysia, where fans can acquire system announcer voice lines that are fully adapted to 7GL, including the Double Kill, Legendary, and Victory announcements, as well as many more that will be announced during pivotal match points. The Announcer Pack features Soloz, Makdi, Ombong, Feekz, and Peak, who've tested out their polished gameplay during their journey as a guest caster at MKL. The pack also perfectly complements the previous 7GL Voice Pack, which was released back in May 2025. Check out the following details to claim your free Announcer Pack today: – Complete one match in Honor of Kings Malaysia to receive the full Announcer Pack by 7GL. – The 7GL announcer pack will be available on 9 June, and local players can redeem it until 19 June. – Compete alongside Malaysia's esports and gaming superstars, and let them guide you in your matches! Supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), Rakan Muda as the Official Strategic Partner, realme as the Official Gaming Phone Partner, and Sunway Pyramid as the Official Venue Partner, the MY HOK League Spring 2025 brings together passionate esports talents to awaken their potential.
The Sun
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Nova Esports are the champions of the first MY Honor of Kings League!
NOVA ESPORTS is the first MY Honor of Kings League champion! The first professional national league was hosted offline for the first time at Sunway Pyramid from 6 - 8 June, where six teams ignited the arena with fiery, neck-to-neck matches, much to the delight of the local crowd. Fiery grand finals showdown The Grand Finals saw Nova Esports clash in a best-of-seven against Black Shrew Esport, and in a surprising turn of events, both teams almost chose the same hero matchups in the Ultimate Battle. In a best-of-seven Match series, the Ultimate Battle will commence if the Match is tied 3-3 after Game 6. Players must choose the same hero and use the challenger spells submitted during Game 7 in a Normal 5v5 mode with no Bans, and coaches are placed under a tight time restriction to choose their hero lineup. In the leadup before the Ultimate Battle, the Global Ban&Pick format was applied to ensure that each hero could only be selected once per match series by each team, with a total of four bans per game. Nova Esports was the mightier squad and came prepared. NOVA. Xuan's skillful use of Dharma landed him the FVMP title, and the team emerged with the final score of 4-3. 'This is a momentous step for us as we mark history as the first local champions,' stated Nicholas 'NOVA. Xuan' Ng, 'This win is dedicated to all of our supporters who have stood steadfast by us, and we hope to make them proud once again at KWC 2025.' Nova Esports and Black Shrew Esport will turn the heat up once again at KWC 2025, along with AG Global. 7GL ignites in-game with new announcer pack Showcased at the MY Honor of Kings League (MKL) Spring 2025 Playoffs, 7GL made a special appearance and featured the first-ever Announcer Pack for HOK Malaysia, where fans can acquire system announcer voice lines that are fully adapted to 7GL, including the Double Kill, Legendary, and Victory announcements, as well as many more that will be announced during pivotal match points. The Announcer Pack features Soloz, Makdi, Ombong, Feekz, and Peak, who've tested out their polished gameplay during their journey as a guest caster at MKL. The pack also perfectly complements the previous 7GL Voice Pack, which was released back in May 2025. Check out the following details to claim your free Announcer Pack today: – Complete one match in Honor of Kings Malaysia to receive the full Announcer Pack by 7GL. – The 7GL announcer pack will be available on 9 June, and local players can redeem it until 19 June. – Compete alongside Malaysia's esports and gaming superstars, and let them guide you in your matches! Supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS), Rakan Muda as the Official Strategic Partner, realme as the Official Gaming Phone Partner, and Sunway Pyramid as the Official Venue Partner, the MY HOK League Spring 2025 brings together passionate esports talents to awaken their potential.
South China Morning Post
10-04-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Chinese woman with undersized chest muscles wears ‘jewellery breast' to boost self-esteem
A 22-year-old woman in China with a rare congenital condition that left one of her breasts underdeveloped has shared an online post showing a new breast made of jewellery, saying it helped her gain confidence. Advertisement The woman, surnamed Xuan, was born with Poland Syndrome, a condition characterised by underdeveloped chest muscles and limbs on one side of the body. The syndrome occurs in about one in every 30,000 births, and affects males twice as often as females. It does not affect life expectancy, but patients are often advised to receive reconstruction or implant surgery to help with breathing problems and appearance based on the severity of their condition. Xuan said she suffered from low self-esteem when she was a child, knowing that she looked different from her classmates. Xuan, right, was born with Poland Syndrome, a condition characterised by underdeveloped chest muscles and limbs on one side of the body. Photo: handout She said she tried to stuff her bra to make her breasts look symmetrical, and habitually slouched to hide her abnormality.
