Last night I had the privilege of opening a new exhibition at the Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts gallery in George Street. Called Brushstrokes from the East, this is the first solo exhibition in New Zealand of paintings by Chinese artist Wu Wei of Guangzhou, China.

The exhibition consists of approximately 15 to 20 paintings in both traditional Chinese calligraphic style as well as works in more Western mode. Wu Wei was born in China in 1960. He is a graduate of the Tsinghua University College of Fine Arts (now the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing). He has worked in a number of art and design environments but his real love is painting. His paintings are highly regarded in China and many have been exhibited in prestigious museums and art galleries.