SANFORD - The Central Carolina Community College Confucius Classroom hosted a Chinese Art Exhibition on Sunday, Nov. 15, featuring original Chinese art and traditional music. The exhibition was held at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center in Sanford.

This event showcased the original paintings of Feiyan Liu, former vice president of Sichuan Yangtze Art Academy. Feiyan Liu specializes in meticulous painting of flowers, birds, and figures. Her daughter, Guan Wang, is the CCCC Confucius Classroom instructor.

"I was born and raised in a city called Chengdu. Chengdu is the capital city of the Sichuan province in China. Because of its ancient history and central location, Chengdu has long been a melting pot for many of the 56 different Chinese ethnic groups, their art and their culture," Feiyan Liu said at the event. "It is this diverse culture that has molded me as an artist of Chinese traditional paintings. Being raised in Oriental traditions and aesthetic appreciation for almost 40 years, my works embody a strong sense of ethnicity and local style.

"Although artists from the East and West of China vary in many ways, such as in painting techniques, I believe that people's appreciation of nature, lovely birds, beautiful flowers, nostalgia for the good old days, and the reminiscence of one's fading memories of the old houses, remains universal," she said.

"So much so, I hope my paintings would convey a beautiful and positive attitude toward life. So that people's soul will be nurtured with honesty and kindness and the world will be filled with love and harmony," she said.

"I consider this exhibition as a great learning opportunity for me. I welcome everyone to feel free to offer me your precious ideas and opinions of my art. I hope we can all enjoy this beautiful evening together. Thanks!"

Musicians from the NC-RTP Chinese Music Ensemble performed traditional songs as part of the program.

Feiyan Liu is offering her paintings for sale after completion of the exhibition in January. Individuals who may be interested in purchasing one of the paintings can send an email to Guan Wang at gwang630@cccc.edu.

For more information on the CCCC Confucius Classroom, visit www.cccc.edu/confucius.

For more information on the Central Carolina Community College, visit www.cccc.edu.