A total of 73 oil paintings by 12 young painters from Shenzhen are on display at an exhibition in the National Art Museum of China in Beijing until July 17.

The 12 Shenzhen-born painters, aged 4 to 14, are Zhang Zhuo'er, Sun Yuqian, Huang Xutong, Li Wanxin, Zhang Jingru, Mai Yixin, Li Zhuoyuan, Luo Yixiao, Huang Jiaqi, Wang Jiayang, Huang Jiaguo and Liang Jiayang.

They are all students of Dong Jianguo and Wu Xiaoyan, a husband-and-wife duo who teach painting at the Shenzhen Xiaoyan Children's Art School in Futian District.

The 73 oil paintings on display have been selected from the students' recent works, which express their views on the world, life and society.

The exhibition has been co-organized by the publicity department of the Communist Youth League of China and the organizing committee of China Juvenile Calligraphy and Fine Arts Competition in Beijing.

The exhibition is the first featuring the works of Shenzhen children to be staged in the National Art Museum.

In early June, 17 jury members of the art committee of the National Art Museum of China appraised the 12 young painters' works and unanimously approved of an exhibition of the paintings.

"When I was told on the phone in the evening that a joint exhibition had been approved, I could not fall asleep for the whole night," said Dong.

"I was also told that the 73 works not only represented the best oil paintings the Shenzhen children could have done, but also represented new development trends of the contemporary Chinese oil painting," he added.

Zhang Jingru, 10, is a Grade Four student in Shenzhen Liyuan Elementary School. She began to learn painting at age 5.

In her spare time, Zhang likes music, dance and sports. She also loves reading science fiction and philosophy books.

Among the 12 young painters, Zhang is probably the most controversial for the philosophical theme of her paintings.

Little figures with swords in their hands, who seem to be struggling to pierce something, can be frequently seen in her works.

Born in 1993, Zhang Zhuo'er is now a Grade One student of Shenzhen Senior High School. In his spare time, he loves playing the piano. He has been studying painting under Wu Xiaoyan since he was 8 years old.

In 2004, at age 11, he won second prize at the Second China Juvenile Calligraphy and Fine Arts Competition after spending three years learning painting techniques.

In the same year, he began to learn oil painting, and felt he was good at it. In 2006, his oil painting, titled "The Dream of Roses - Thinking of the 2008 Olympics" won the special prize in the Third China Juvenile Calligraphy and Fine Arts Competition.

His recent works feature the themes of music and animals, and have sharp color contrasts, a strong sense of rhythm and rich imagination.

Huang Xutong, 14, is a slim and graceful girl. Perhaps because she was born in spring, both her character and works frequently reflect the season: tender, elegant and tranquil yet without lacking passion and liveliness.

Her rich and bold imagination has also filled her oil paintings with meaningful and thought-provoking tension.

When Huang started to learn painting at age 4, she used a piece of white paper with three circles to create a scene of a family excursion in spring, which won her a gold prize from an American children's painting organization. This success made her even more enthusiastic about painting. Her most unforgettable experience was when she participated in an art exhibition in Paris, France in the summer of 2006.

To create her entry for the exhibition, she studied traditional Chinese drama. Her work, titled "Chinese Drama," won praise from French painters and was bought by Jean Claudz, a French government official.

Huang Jiaqi, 8, is a Grade Two pupil in Shenzhen Experimental School. She is good at painting, singing, performing, and dancing. At age 4, Huang began to learn painting from Wu Xiaoyan. Since then, she has won numerous prizes in China and abroad.

Huang said her dream was to stand upside down on the moon one day. Her recent works feature the theme of plants, and animals as well as how to protect the earth.

Li Yan, mother of Sun Yuqian, said she felt very proud that her daughter's works were being displayed at the exhibition.

"I myself don't know of oil painting so much, but I feel very proud that these children have made such great progress in learning oil paining and have done something their parents probably cannot do in all their lives," Li said.

"Although we are not sure what these children will do 10 or 20 years later, this exhibition, as a landmark in their lives, will make an important impact on their future," she added.

(Shenzhen Daily July 13, 2007)