Art Deco exhibition in Hong Kong showcases 1920s chic in China, France

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An exhibition featuring the relationship between Art Deco and Chinese art opened at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on Wednesday.

The exhibition, entitled "Art Deco: The France-China Connection," traces the origins of Art Deco in France, and examines the influence of Chinese arts and craftsmanship on French designers and artisans.

It showcases more than 300 artifacts from museums, institutions and private collectors in France and China's Hong Kong and Shanghai, including furniture, sculptures, paintings, posters, costumes, ceramic glassware, vases, jewelry, cosmetic cases and more, highlighting the versatility, originality and adaptability of Art Deco designs.

Art Deco, a global art trend in the second decade of the 20th century, originated at the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. The new style emphasized simple geometric and dynamic shapes and was widely applied in architecture, fashion and luxury products.

A bas-relief façade by Maurice Picaud (Pico) graces the front of the Folies Bergere building in Paris, France. /VCG File Photo

Way Kuo, president of CityU, Alexandre Giorgini, consulate general of France in Hong Kong and Macao and Emmanuel Bréon, curator of the exhibition officiated at the exhibition's opening ceremony on Tuesday.

In his welcome remarks, Kuo said China and France were historically very close and that artistic inspiration from both countries had generated various kinds of decorative arts.

In the exhibition, CityU has combined art and technology to make the precious exhibits even more exciting, Kuo added.

Expressing his appreciation for participating in the exhibition, Giorgini said that Art Deco was the first global art style and it has had a profound influence on France and China.

Among the many highlights are a bas-relief façade by Maurice Picaud (Pico), an artistic vase designed by Pierre Patout, a French evening dress including intricate geometric patterns, and a beautiful dressing table designed by a Shanghainese artisan.

The exhibition runs until June 30, 2019.

(Top image: The Galeries Lafayette pavilion at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes, April 28, 1925. The exhibition later gave it's name in abbreviated form to the Art Deco style. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency