Little did I know what treats were in store when I decided to take up the invitation to the Chinese crafts workshops. Initially this is where my interest lay as I intended to use the expertise of the artists to create a new interest for the people in the community with which I work.

The opening evening was a delight, with well stocked hospitality tables, the friendliness of the organising team and VIPs, who made the effort to speak to guests known to them or not. The desire to raise awareness of the Chinese culture was reflected in the prominence in society of the speakers. Each speaker spoke with conviction that the Chinese culture would become integrated into the cultures of Northern Ireland. All present were captivated by the musical talent of a young Chinese musician. The wonderful sounds which the musician produced from the little wooden pear shaped instrument managed to encapsulate all that is spiritual and charming and indicative of Chinese Art and Culture. The contemporary artwork in the gallery was complimented with the sounds of the ancient instrument, so providing a link between past and present.

The art works displayed great diversity of style and medium. From the colourful ink painting of still life subjects to the wonderful wood block prints which made choosing extremely difficult, all were superb. Most impressive is “In the Sunshine – Belfast” by He Wei Min. Not only impressive for the degree of expertise but that it provides a connection for one living in his inherited culture and placed in a different environment. In fact any of the pieces could be placed happily into homes in Northern Ireland and enjoyed and appreciated for years to come.

The workshops and demonstrations were interesting and very informative.

The paper cutting was intriguing and liu Ling generously provided those watching with samples of simple patterns to practise at home.

The ink painting by Zhong Hong was inspirational. How can something that looks so easy to do, be so infuriatingly difficult to achieve. Our teacher’s gentle manner encouraged us to try and try again. I will still be trying when the exhibition returns to Belfast.

Saturday evening at the Waterfront does not usually include a wood block printing workshop but I can say I had as much fun and more than those who were entertained in the auditorium. We romped through all the stages of the technique with Wei Min, laughing while we cut (hacked) out our chosen designs. Somehow everyone ended up with a little picture which perhaps supports the saying about “beginner’s luck”.

All too soon the time had arrived for the last workshop. Lili was most encouraging with her calligraphy students. Once we “mastered” the brush, we had the added problem of the language or interpretation. Lili guided us through this difficulty beautifully by giving us some basic works from nature to copy and showing how they had evolved from the ancient writings. We had been worried that our calligraphy would be meaningless but in a very short time we had the confidence to produce the characters just for the beauty of shape and design with just enough understanding.

The opening statement of the “Introduction” on behalf of the Mandarin Speakers Association, was hopeful that a contribution to the cultural diversity of Northern Ireland would be made. The enthusiasm of those attending demonstrated that this is possible and certainly has had a positive beginning. For those who missed this event I know they are much the poorer and I hope we will have the opportunity to experience the second exhibition. I am now the proud owner of a very fine print and wish to thank the Mandarin Speakers Association for opening up this source in the world of art. We have plenty of room for it.