Dunhuang Exchange Seminar at Dumfries House

The School of Traditional Arts hosted a seminar at Dumfries House over two days in January to celebrate the work achieved by five PFSTA alumni artists in collaboration with artists from the Dunhuang Research Academy.

Dr Adrian Iurco, Dr Desmond Lazaro, Dr Radu Leon, Dr Renuka Gurung and Dr David Cranswick visited Dunhuang during 2017 and 2018 as part of an artist-in-residence programme. The objectives of these residencies were to:

• Build an understanding of the painting materials common to artists along the Silk Road.
• Instil awareness of the value of the artistic heritage of the Silk Road and enrich artistic practices by sharing techniques and philosophies of painting.
• Nurture and support practicing artists in the understanding of the origins of their materials and the diversity of cultural application of nature’s colours and pigments.
• Inspire artists from both Dunhuang Research Academy and the School of Traditional Arts through cultural exchange.

The Seminar included presentations by the five PFSTA artists to representatives of the Dunhuang Culture Promotion Foundation, the Dunhuang Research Academy, the V&A museum and other friends of the School. Throughout the presentations, an exhibition of artworks produced as a result of the residencies by all artists was on display and we were pleased to welcome HRH on the final day to view the exhibition and meet with the seminar participants.