A SCULPTURE of Confucius by a leading Chinese artist has been unveiled as part of a major exhibition at the Glasgow School of Art (GSA).

Li Xiangqun’s one metre high white bronze sculpture was previously displayed in China’s Forbidden City as part of his solo exhibition — the first ever by a contemporary at the museum.

Li is president of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts (LAFA), the GSA’s partner institute in China.

The exhibition in Glasgow, East and West Walk Forward, features work by 35 artists who also teach at LAFA, and is a centrepiece of the GSA’s autumn programme.

Professor Alistair Payne, head of the School of Fine Art at GSA, said: “The GSA has been working in partnership with LAFA for the last four years and we are delighted to unveil this showcase of work by our colleagues in China.

“This is an important exhibition, not only in the context of the relationship between the two institutions, but also as an exhibition in its own right, featuring some of the most eminent artists practicing in China today.

“We are particularly pleased to be able to show the work by Li Xiangqun which has previously been seen in such a prestigious venue as the Forbidden City, alongside works by artists including Wei Ershen,who was a key member of the mould-breaking ‘85 New Wave’ — the nationwide avant-garde movement that emerged in China in the mid-1980s.”

The work on show in the exhibition includes large-scale oil on canvas paintings, digital prints on silk, watercolours and multimedia sculptures.

“Luxun Academy of Fine Arts are honoured to hold an exhibition entitled East and West Walk Forward at the Reid Gallery of The Glasgow School of Art,” said Li.

“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to this exhibition on behalf of the eight thousand faculty and students of LAFA.

“The exhibition has great significance for the strategic partnership between LAFA and the GSA, as it illustrates the interaction of faculty, works and students. It is also an opportunity for cultural and artistic exchange between China and Britain, eastern and western.”

“The tremendous depths of culture in China and Britain mark these two countries out as the best representatives of eastern and western civilisations.

“These two countries’ cultures vary in many aspects and traditions but the two nations do not see any rivalry or competition rather we have a complementary relationship.

“We hope that this exhibition can promote the friendship between LAFA and GSA, to help us to have a better understanding of each other and we look forward to welcoming the GSA’s School of Fine Art to China.

“We will carry forward the spirit of Yan’an Luxun School of Art — to be the leader of the times, to stay hungry, and lead Chinese contemporary art on to the international stage.”

The East and West Walk Forward exhibition can be found in the Reid Gallery from today until October 29.