CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Yan Zhang wanted to bring her love of traditional Buddhist art to P.E.I.
So, she moved to Charlottetown and started King Deer Art Center.
The center, where Zhang teaches students how to paint traditional silk Chinese fans in a centuries-old style, is located on University Avenue and opened for business in February.
Zhang, originally from Beijing, China, has been painting since she was young.
After university, she began studying traditional art at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. According to a New York Times article, the school turns away more than 90 per cent of its applicants each year.
“The best art school in China,” Zhang said.
She moved to P.E.I. shortly after graduating. Now, the province is like a second homeland, she said.
“I really love this area.”
Her focus is on the art of Dunhuang, a town in north-western China. In 1900, a system of 492 caves was discovered near the town, rich with Buddhist murals and sculptures ranging back to AD 366.
Zhang loves the Dunhuang style because it combines many facets of eastern and western art, which is what she wants to do at her center.
“Dunhuang is very famous in China, and even in the world.”
Many famous museums have Dunhuang art collections, like the Louvre Museum in Paris. However, no one else on P.E.I. is displaying the art style, she said.
Zhang said she loves teaching and plans to offer more classes. She’s looking for local artists to teach different art styles at her center, and already found someone to teach oil painting.
King Deer Art Center is a space for Zhang to display her art and for people to exchange cultures, she said.
“Canada is an immigrant country, and there’s a lot of different cultures here.”
Zhang hopes to cooperate with local art galleries.
“We can exchange different cultural paintings,” she said. “I’m very glad to bring my art here.”