A timeless painting does more than depict a landscape — it tells a story. In the spring of 2026, the 14th Silk Road: Artists’ Rendezvous — Renowned Arab Artists Visit China for Cultural Exploration brought together nine distinguished Arab artists from Egypt, Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia for a cultural exploration in China.

Alongside three Chinese painters, they embarked on a journey from Beijing’s Forbidden City to the scenic mountains and seas of Fujian. Throughout their travels, they created art and built friendships, culminating in a collaborative scroll painting titled ‘A Journey of Mountains and Seas, A Journey in Song’, as well as individual masterpieces. This artistic expedition became a dialogue between civilisations, expressed through five distinct colors.

White: the philosophy of blank space

Algerian artist Yasser Ameur delved into the significance of white in traditional Chinese ink painting. Guided by Chinese painter Zhang Qiuju in Fuzhou, he learned that “leaving blank space isn’t emptiness; it’s an invitation for imagination”. The two artists exchanged paintings, forging a friendship across mountains and rivers.

Red: echoes of ancient civilisations

Egyptian artist Moha­med Sabry Bastawy Hass­­an chose red as the focal colour of his work. From the majestic Forbidden Ci­­ty to the intricate art of glove puppetry, he found a shared spiritual essence. His piece, ‘The Tree of Life’, uses Chinese red to cleverly merge ancient Egy­ptian script with the Chin­ese auspicious number eight.

Originally published in Dawn, September 21st, 2026