The Ukrainian Institute of America hosted an art evening entitled "Ukraine: Every Day," featuring Chinese artist and professor Weixin Xu. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Xu has been creating digital drawings every day. The event featured an exhibition of Professor Xu's digital portraits, created on an iPad in response to events in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Institute of America organized the event in partnership with Branch 113 of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America (UNWLA) to celebrate the branch's 40th anniversary.
This was reported by UNWLA Branch 113 NYC and the Ukrainian Institute of America.
Dr. Vita Golod, co-founder of the Ukrainian Platform for Contemporary China, opened the event by introducing the artist and emphasizing the importance of cultural dialogue between nations in times of global crisis.
Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Professor Xu has created a digital drawing every day, forming a visual diary of war, pain, resistance, and human dignity.
During the presentation, Xu shared his thoughts on the power of art as a tool for civic testimony, moral stance, and resistance. His works combine artistic expression, documentary accuracy, and deep empathy for Ukrainians.
The presentation was part of the 40th anniversary celebration of UNWLA Branch 113, which supports humanitarian initiatives and promotes Ukrainian art.
After the main program, guests had the opportunity to chat with the artist during a reception with light refreshments.
Background
Weixin Xu was born in Urumqi, Xinjiang Province, China, in 1958. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Xi'an Academy of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts from the Zhejiang Academy of Arts. Xu is a professor of painting and the former executive dean of the School of Arts at Renmin University in Beijing.
In his work, he combines realism with a philosophical understanding of historical stages. His notable exhibitions include "Song of Workers" (Shanghai Art Museum, 2007) and "Chinese Historical Figures: 1966–1976 (Today Art Museum, Beijing, 2007), and China Image: Portrait in Circulation (Harvard University, 2011). In 2016, his work was presented for the first time in the United States in a solo exhibition at the University of Michigan Museum of Art.
Holod is a candidate of philosophical sciences and a junior researcher at the A. Yu. Krymsky Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and a lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research covers Chinese foreign policy, the ethnic policy of the PRC, and relations between Ukraine and China. She is the author of numerous publications in Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, ChinaFile, BBC, Forbes Ukraine, and others.
Author: Inna Mikhno