For college students in China, graduation season is right around the corner. The final stretch is a busy one, with students working hard to finish their graduation projects. Now audiences in Beijing can enjoy the fruits of their academic labor. The capital's Tsinghua University is exhibiting the creations of its art students. 

At the Tsinghua University Art Museum, the 2019 postgraduate work exhibition brings together over 1,000 pieces. They're the work of master's degree candidates from the university's Academy of Arts and Design.

One of the highlights is an array of images featuring the portraits of the Evenki reindeer-herding tribe of Aoluguya in northeastern China. Wang Wei, who spent over two years with the tribe, said he wants to use photography to help save the rich culture from extinction. 

"The Evenki ethnic group is the 'last of the reindeer herding tribes' in China. They have created a colorful 'Reindeer Culture' during their long history of taming the animals. But the integration of the ethnic minority and the modern society has pushed some unique parts of the culture to the brink of extinction," said Wang. "I used a large format camera and black-and-white film to document the nomadic lifestyle and portraits of the tribe, trying to preserve and introduce their culture to a wider audience." 

Professor Feng Jianguo was a close advisor on some of the projects, including Wang's. He expressed hope for the young artists preparing to finish their studies.

"The topics of their works are appealing to viewers. I think the pieces demonstrate the students' understanding of photography and their artistic creativity. I hope they can keep their passion for art after they leave school," said Feng.

Mao Yu from the Department of Sculpture also presents his offering -- a large group of colorful, sculpted human figures. 

"I mixed pigments with plaster and made about 300 half-body sculptures. I think colors can in some way well reflect people's emotions. Some colors I used are quite familiar, but there are also some we don't usually see. The richness may bring to mind viewers' different moods or some particular memories from their lives," said Mao.

The exhibition covers a wide range of mediums, including ceramic art, industrial design art, information art, sculpture art and more.

Yang Dongjiang, deputy director of the academy, said: "We can see a diversity of works presented at the exhibition. This is because students from different departments worked together on their projects. In recent years, the academy also carried out student exchange projects with foreign universities. Many students have incorporated what they learned abroad into their creations."

The exhibition will run until next month.