By Wu Mingshi
Jianing Ma, who aspires to become a young artist, has cherished painting since childhood. From Year 8 onwards, she studied painting at several local studios. Her oil paintings exhibit a strong expressive quality and tension in their use of colour, demonstrating her preliminary style. Now aged 17, Jianing Ma presents her inaugural exhibition of paintings (oil works) and installation art on September 26, 2025.
Having received a rich artistic upbringing from childhood, she has visited major museums across Europe, America and China, and made multiple dedicated trips to Europe to observe solo exhibitions by renowned painters, absorbing artistic nourishment and inspiration.
This intimate solo exhibition presents ten oil paintings and three installation artworks, showcasing her artistic achievements over the past year and demonstrating her multifaceted talents.
Notable attendees at the opening and symposium included renowned artist and curator Professor Zheng Shengtian and his wife, Vancouver Art Gallery chief curator Diana, distinguished local art educator He Xiang, curator Huang Chen, and several local artists.
Professor Zheng Shengtian said that encouraging young people to study and create art can bring a fresh stream of peace and harmony to an increasingly divided, polarized, and violent world. Chinese parents should support their talented children in pursuing the arts, rather than just math, physics, chemistry, and high-tech. Their success will inspire their peers.
Curator Huang Chen believes that she admires young people’s passion for art. If you have a dream, pursue it. The journey requires tremendous effort, long-term persistence, and accumulation. The artistic path requires the artist’s solitary and unwavering willpower to persevere. No one can predict the outcome, as the artistic path is known to be full of difficulties and setbacks.
Additionally, the artist generously donated the $10,000 she earned from the sale of her paintings to the Vancouver Art Gallery to support local artistic development.
