Special Guest Talks About Chinese Art and Culture with Prekindergarten Class

Prekindergarten parent Annie Peng recently visited Nikki Coleman’s class to teach the students about Chinese artwork and culture as part of a celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. 

The lesson began by looking at an example of Chinese brushwork, a landscape painted by famous artist Wang Hui. She explained both the physical attributes of the painting – what the image was and the materials used to create it – as well as the way that it was meant to be interpreted or viewed. As a Chinese landscape scroll painting, the landscape is meant to allow the viewer to travel through it as they follow the paths created by the artist. 

The students then learned about the materials they would use to create their own landscapes. Annie explained that they would use red rice paper and ink to paint a bamboo scene. She noted that she brought red paper because red is the color of good fortune in Chinese culture; that rice paper is a commonly used paper for Chinese artists; and that bamboo has many uses – food, water piping, utensils, etc. – and, as a result, is often seen in Chinese artwork. Each student then created their own painting of the bamboo scene using family members as inspiration for the number of bamboo stalks painted.