Last call for all those who want to show off their creative side in our COVID-19 T-Shirt Design Contest!

While we keep those battling on the frontlines of the virus in our thoughts, we can also use this time for a little reflection, creativity, and to show our support for all those fighting COVID-19 around the world.

Whether it’s a message of unity and solidarity, the importance of proper hygiene techniques, the power of social responsibility, or showing love and appreciation for the doctors and nurses fighting COVID-19, we want to know what this experience has meant to you.

by Peregrine Andell

by 张皓童

It’s time to unite and show our love and support for one another. Together we’ll overcome COVID-19!

Here is how the contest works:
1. Submit your work here before Mar 29
2. beijingkids readers will have until Apr 3 to vote for their favorite design
3. The winner will receive a set of T-shirts with his or her design, a set of beijingkids quarantine-themed parent/child T-shirts, free entry to all upcoming Beijinger events for the year, and unlimited bragging rights!

Rules:
1. Use whatever medium you choose. it can be watercolor, stick figure, pencil, oil painting, computer drawing and so on.
2. Please paint/design on white paper or background.
3. Participants need to scan or take a photo of their works. Please make sure photos or scanned files are between 1-3M JPG, PNG, or PDF format.
4.  When you’re ready, click here to submit your work.

by Cavior Jian

See you on the other side of quarantine, Beijing! Until then, stay safe and remember to wash your hands!

For many of us, music is a guiding light, an unparalleled force that has shaped the very fabric of our being. Whereas passionate and active listening can unlock creativity and introduce us to new ideas, playing an instrument teaches us valuable lessons about patience, perseverance, collaboration and community. Whether you’re picking up a guitar or immersing yourself in a world of music theory, the seemingly magical properties of this art form are unlike any other.

Here in Beijing, Crescendo Music Studio, owned and operated by Wang Yi and her husband Nico Torrese, plays a vital role in exposing both Chinese and expat children to the wonderful world of rhythm. We spoke to Wang about how Crescendo got started, how it’s helped shape the community, and about balancing parental duties with being a small business owner.

Zoe (R), Nico (in back with glasses on head)

Please introduce yourself, and let us know where you’re from! And of course, what instruments do you play?

I am Wang Yi, the owner and manager of Crescendo Studio. Many people know me as Zoe. I am 37 and I’ve played the accordion since the age of 4. I’ve taught music for over 15 years in Beijing, and now I mainly teach piano and music discovery. My husband Nico is French, he is a guitar player and teacher, based in Beijing for 16 years. He’s taught guitar since 2005.

Can you tell us a little about Crescendo? How long have you been in operation? What do you do? How did it start? How has it grown over the years?

I founded Crescendo three years ago with the help of Nico. It is a music training studio for children and adults, located by Sanyuanqiao. We wanted to have a bigger space to teach in better conditions, with more equipment in order to develop our teaching activity. We now work with five other teachers: we provide piano, drum, guitar, ukulele, singing, accordion, music discovery, and music theory classes. Crescendo Studio is growing slowly but consistently. I also work as a music discovery teacher in international schools in Beijing.

Did either of you have jobs before opening Crescendo? Is this a passion project, such that you left behind another career to pursue this one?

I am a professionally trained musician, and graduated from the Music Institute of Tianjin. Nico used to work as a journalist back in France. He’s now a full time musician and teacher here in Beijing. We met in 2007 to play a concert together and we never stopped. Today we still perform together and work hand-in-hand every single day.

Did you face any difficulties when starting Crescendo? What’s it like opening and operating your own business?

The main difficulty was, and still is, to have Crescendo known: always tricky when you open something from scratch, even if most of our previous students have followed us. We have to communicate clearly and try and reach out to new families all the time. Social networks help us a lot, but we also have to be careful not to overwhelm people with our activity.

We also wanted to open dance classes, but the activity has been very slow since there are dozens of dance schools in Beijing. We decided to stop that this year and to focus on the music. It’s been a good choice.

The other difficulty is to find, and keep, good teachers. We now have a good team of experienced teachers from France, USA, Ukraine and China.

Zoe, with daughter, Suzan, and two other students

How old are your kids? Is it tough to balance parenting duties with being a small business owner?

We have two girls, 7 and 4 years old. They go to school, they both take music lessons at Crescendo, and so far we can balance happily our parent life and professional activity. But it is hard to spend more time with the girls during weekends since it is the busiest time of the week for us. Also, we do not take lots of holidays, three to four weeks per year: music education never stops!

What is your philosophy behind music education for children?

Make children like music, know it and understand it. And, most important, give them the taste of learning, practicing (not so obvious on a daily basis), and performing. Our job is to help them improve.

I’m assuming you play a pretty important role in the community. Can you talk about what that’s like?

Hard to say that we play an important role in the community. But what we can tell for sure is that the biggest part of our reputation comes from the families, foreigners and Chinese. They are our best promoters as long as we are consistent about the quality of our work. We can thank them here for their support. Over the years, some students and parents have become real friends. We are always proud to see students growing up and improving: some of them were 5 or 6 years old when they started learning with us, and they’ll go to university soon. We have shared a big part of their life.

Do you have any advice for other parents who might want to start their own business?

Get a good idea of your project, based on a real passion and experience. Do not count your time and always try to think ahead while focusing on the daily work. We have found out that our best periods of activity have been prepared months ago.

Crescendo Music Studio is located at Haocheng Plaza, Floor 13, Zuojiazhuang Zhongie No. 6

For more information, scan the QR code below.

Photos: Courtesy of Nico Torrese

Long before children learn to speak, they express themselves artistically, and possess a seemingly intrinsic desire to leave their mark in the world. They create on just about any surface they can find, some more irritating than others (see: crayons on walls, markers on younger siblings’ faces, playing with food), but it all just speaks to a small mind processing big emotions in a giant world.

Yet this desire to create is not only a means of self-discovery, it also has direct correlations with the child’s development, affecting everything from civic engagement, empathy, and broader points of view later in life. Unfortunately, as we grow up, logic gradually replaces imagination, work time swallows up play time, and many of us lose the spark that inspires creativity and passion.

However if artistic abilities and appreciation are nurtured early on, a person can stave off the crushing defeat of a world ruled by more “practical pursuits.”

With this in mind, every Wednesday beginning September 25 (through December 4), bacaARTCENTRE will conduct weekly creative art classes from 17:00-19:30, for children aged 7 to 16. The standard price for a single course is RMB 350, though early bird prices are offered at RMB 280 if the student is registered one week before. Similarly, six and 12 week packages are available at RMB 1,590 and RMB 2,980 respectively. All classes are to be held at bacaARTCENTRE, located near Yonghe Temple in Unit 125, Level One, Yonghe Tower B, Beijing (北京市东城区雍和大厦B座125室). While a basic understanding of English is required, a Chinese assistant will be on site to help learners of varying degrees.

Charlie Dutton; Contemporary Artist, Curator, and Art Educator

Led by Charlie Dutton and Liam Yeates, two British artists trained in art education, as well as South African designer, Monique van Zyl, the program hopes to “improve children’s talent in painting, drawing, and English level as well as their imagination, observational skills, and thinking.” In addition to painting and drawing, kids can also learn the processes behind 3D modeling and printing, providing a multidisciplinary approach to creation.

For more information, and to register for courses, please go here.  

Photos: Artclassesaustin.com, bacaARTCENTRE

Some of us may have already accepted that summer boredom is not only a thing, but it’s a good thing. As I wrote in a previous blog, boredom can not only help children find solutions to their own problems, but it also helps them discover their true inner life and perhaps even what drives them. But how to give them a little push towards this self-discovery?  Here are ten ideas for strategies to help those bored kids launch into something scintillatingly stimulating.

1. Idea jar. Buy a pack of small origami paper and write ideas on each slip, folding it neatly and putting into a clear jar with a ribbon or bow. When those kids come whining with a desperate glint in their eyes, just hand them the jar. Talk to the jar, kids.
2. Pick a sport. Sometimes the solutions are just so easy. Hand them a badminton set, a ball, or a scooter and send them out the door.
3. Build a fort. Who doesn’t have fond memories of creating secret snack depositories and wrestling matches inside a pile of old blankets and sheets? Just be ready to do some laundry (or, better, pass it onto the kids) after they spill their favorite drink into the fort because it was … ummm … holding up a major corner of the fort on some teetering edge of the furniture!
4. Clean your room. At first your child may groan at this idea, but reorganizing a room when bored can refresh and restore a sense of calm and excitement about the ideas that pop up when considering how to create the coolest room ever.
5. Make a career plan. A huge part of self – discovery is finding who we want our future selves to be. It may start as an idea of what we want to feel or how we could impact the world and grow from there into a career path. My daughter recently said she wanted to “help solve problems” as an adult. That conversation led her into finding diplomacy as a future job. Now she’s following all kinds of international diplomatic stories and offering her own solutions to issues that our top negotiators can’t seem to push forward. Time machine, anyone?
6. Write a letter. Many kids actually love to envision themselves as adults and anticipate what they might forget or need to know later on in life. A designated place for letters of this sort is ideal, and parents should resist the temptation to look without permission. We all dread reading those “Don’t ever become like Mom” notes. Spoiler alert, kids. You probably will.
7. Make a time capsule. While the kids are on the topic of their future selves, they might as well make a little package for themselves. Special trinkets, photos, or memories can go in to a decorated box or bottle with the note “Do not open until 2030.” That is a real year in the near future.
8. Make something gooey or squishy. Even the most self-respecting and mature teen can be captivated by a good old – fashioned batch of ooblek (cornstarch and water). There’s also lots of easy homemade clay and Play-Doh recipes out there they can bling out with glitter, dried flowers, essential oils and food color.
9. Plan and make a meal. Baking projects are awesome and great for learning fractions and heaps of science. Planning out a whole meal can be even more fun when armed with a computer and cravings for something new.  Your kids might even find a new weeknight staple.
10. Build something. Toothpick or cotton swab towers, recycled castles and secret boxes all come in handy and require plenty of problem – solving and creativity opportunities. Having an end use plan for the creations helps to keep those long projects out of the trash bin for a while. Cat castles, secret depositories and dreamscapes for figurines are all winning designs that the kids can use for a long time to come.

Hopefully these ideas are enough to jump start some interesting and probably messy work. Don’t forget to get them to agree to clean up afterwards! As for me, I’m going to support the diplomatic negotiations over what kind of cat castle can both include a drawbridge and accommodate teenage disdain for “totally weird” use of space.  Let the talks begin!

Photo: Adobe Stock

School is out, Christmas and the New Year is approaching and you’re wondering what to do with the kids. Not to worry! If you want to avoid having your little and not so little ones hibernating at home the following winter camps have got you covered. Keep the kids active through learning and play this cold season!

BSB Shunyi Early Years Winter Camp, Dec 17 – Jan 4

This year The British School of Beijing Shunyi (BSB Shunyi) will run an Early Years Winter Camp from December 17 2018 until January 4 2019.  With early bird discounts for sign ups before November 30, the camp is designed for parents who would like their children to brush up on their English or Mandarin while having fun.

BSB Shunyi will offer two programs for children aged between 2-6, one that focuses on English as a second language and the other on Mandarin. Age- and level-appropriate language lessons will take place in the mornings and a range of activities, including arts and crafts, sports, and story time will be offered in the afternoons.

Registration is now open and available to foreign passport holders for BSB and non-BSB students. Ages 2–6. Early bird discount RMB 4,500 (1 week) RMB 7,500 (2 weeks) RMB 9,500 (3 weeks). Normal Fees RMB 5,000 (1 week) RMB 8,000 (2 weeks) RMB 10,000 (3 wks). 9-3pm. British School of Beijing, Shunyi. Register before Dec 8 at wintercamp@britishschool.org.cn.

The SLab 101 Winter Camp, Dec 17 – Jan 4

Sign the up kids for learning and experimentation at The SLab. There will be something for all ages and interests over the winter break with four unique three-day camps which will range from sewing to movie-making classes. Join Jen and her team in a space that will ignite the imagination and build upon and introduce new skills, as well as provide a sanctuary for creative minds.

Kids can take their pick from some awesome workshops. These include Sewing 101, Metalsmithing 101, Movie-making and Movie Editing. In the first of the camps, students of eight and above will be taught how to prepare, cut, sew and creatively embellish their own drawstring bags. In the Metalsmithing workshop, kids of 12 and above will be given the opportunity to learn how to pierce, saw and finish metal pieces using brass and silver to create their own accessories.

If the subject of movies is more likely to get the kids’ creative juices flowing, both the movie-making and movie-editing workshops will provide ample time for students of 12 and above to hone movie industry skills such as scripting, planning, and producing, to learning foundational tools of editing techniques. All camps are inclusive of materials and lunch. Sewing 101 (Kids 8 +) RMB 1888. 10- 4pm. Metalsmithing 101(Kids 12 +) RMB 1,888.  10- 4pm. Movie-Making (Kids 8 +) RMB 2,400. 10- 4pm. Editing in iMovie (Kids 12 +) RMB 2,400. 10- 4pm. The Slab, 102, 15 Dongzhimen Outer Street. To register add on WeChat: JenPohland.

Flip and Kicks Plus Sports Winter Camp, Dec 17 – Jan 4

Flips and Kicks Plus, in collaboration with the Kerry Sports Center, are offering kids plentiful options to keep active this winter with fun multi-sports camps. Kids get to jump, hoop, and plunge their way into sporty fun with activities ranging from Martial Arts, Gymnastics, Swimming, Fencing, and much more!

All classes will be facilitated by expert sports coaches and split into age-appropriate groups; one for 4-7 year olds and one for 8-12 year olds.  Ages 4 – 12. RMB 3,200 (Half day) RMB 4,500 (Full day including lunch). 9am – 12pm (Half day) 9am-2:30pm (Full day). Dec 17 – 21 (Block One) Dec 24 – 28 (Block Two) Dec 31 –  Jan 4 (Block Three). Kerry Sports Center. For more information or to register please contact Kerry Sports at hbkc@thekerryhotels.com or call on 8565 2460.

Atelier Fablab & Art Christmas Winter Camp, Dec 17 – Jan 5

Atelier Fablab will host two awesomely creative Christmas holiday camps this winter for students aged 6 and above. The first, inspired by the iconic Star Wars franchise, features a lightsaber building class, and the other introduces students to the Wild West through discovery of the American Railroads, a journey into the conquest of the West and the learning, coding, and designing of their very own Wild West virtual world!

These are some unique opportunities for kids to engage in topics they perhaps have not yet discovered while having fun and being creative. Morning classes will take place for the older kids and afternoon sessions for the little ones. Included in their extravaganza of winter offerings are three art camps, exploring Der Blaue Reiter(The Blue Rider), A Journey to the World of Native Americans, and Venice and its Carnival. Students will be given the opportunity to work on such techniques as sketching, collage, painting using watercolors and acrylics, and 3D modeling using cardboard; an in-depth look into the world of Art and all its color.

Ages 6 +, RMB 2000 – 4500. 9:30-12pm (morning session), 1-3pm (afternoon session.) December 17-January 5. Atelier Sanlitun Campus. For more information go to www.atelier.cn.com or call 6416 1614. WeChat: atelier_apas.

The Children’s House Montessori Kindergarten Winter Camp, Dec 17 – 28

The Children’s House Montessori School is offering a winter holiday filled with science experiments and winter animals. Kids will find out all about penguins, how they keep warm and why squirrels gather food. The immersive two-week camp will involve students following an array of winter animals and learning how they survive freezing temperatures in the first week and learning how to make a rainbow or rain cloud in a jar in the second.

During the two exciting weeks students will use hands-on techniques and experiments to indirectly learn about physics and chemistry and engage with stimulating new ways to learn through play and investigation. Will it be Winter Animals or Science Experiments? Or both? Time for the kids to go on an adventure that explores both nature and science! Ages 1.5 – 6. RMB 3,500 – 6,500. 9am-3pm. Dec 17-28. The Children’s House Montessori Kindergarten. For more information contactinfo@montessoribeijing.com or call 8556 4122.

First Adventure Winter Camp, Dec 24 – 28 

British run English Language School, First Adventure will hold a five-day Christmas Winter Camp with all the trimmings. Students will participate in two-hour daily sessions that will include learning and play with drama, science and English classes.

Kids will have fun creating flower arrangement handcrafts and Christmas cards. There will be a number of team building activities for the students to participate in along with an itinerary that’s stacked with cool and fun happenings, including, performing arts, Christmas party games, mad science (excavating dinosaurs), Christmas Stocking making, letters to Santa and more. Oh what fun!

First Adventure will provide all of the materials and resources for all aspects of the program and snacks. Kids are encouraged to attend the winter camp in red or green. This Christmas themed Winter Camp is a full of festive fun and one to keep the kids occupied throughout the holiday period. Get the kids out on Christmas eve to have fun and make new friends and if you fancy it, you can also drop them off on Christmas day! Whatever the case First Adventure has got the parents and kids covered this season. Ages 3-8. RMB 1,980. 9am-11am. Dec 24-28. First Adventure, Upper East Side. For more information contact WeChat: firstadventurehr

.Photos: courtesy of organizers

The CAS program, which stands for creativity, activity, and service, is an integral aspect of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. I attend Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS), so next year CAS will become a reality for me and my fellow classmates. The program requires students to participate in activities and organize projects that fall into one of the three components through a series of extra-curricular activities, both in and out of school. IB students must complete frequent reflections of their progress and provide evidence of their participation, whether through photos or teacher evaluations. While I hear that it is quite a demanding task to tackle, I am told that with a good head start and thorough planning, the CAS program is not something to dread and grumble about.

As a rising junior, I am constantly reminded of the expectations that the CAS program will require of me for my remaining two years of high school. As preparation, my school requires freshmen and sophomore students to complete the ‘YCIS Challenge’, which is considered a less ‘intense’ version of CAS. Throughout the two years, I participated in a wide variety of activities, from being the lead in my school’s production of Legally Blonde: The Musical to an amateur member of the soccer and basketball teams. I gained service experience by volunteering myself for new student tours and hosted monthly in-school bake sales with my classmates to raise money for a visually impaired child at the Beijing School for the Blind. While these activities are all activities that could be used for a CAS portfolio, the one element of the CAS program that the YCIS Challenge lacks is the tedious CAS project.

Throughout the course of IB, each student must be involved in at least one CAS project that falls under the creative, active, or service categories. CAS projects are carried out individually or between a group of students and in some cases, involve communities outside of the school’s environment. The duration of a CAS project must be done over a period of at least one month’s time, incorporating both the planning and hosting of an event of your choosing. Each CAS project must have a set purpose and goal, and students must assume a particular role or responsibility for the project.

My first piece of advice upon choosing your CAS project, if you opted to work with organizations outside of your school, is to find local charities involved in the Beijing community. At YCIS and many other international schools, one of the key steps in beginning your journey to choosing a CAS project begins at the CAS fair. The CAS fair at YCIS has hosted annually around the beginning of the school year and involves about 100 high school students squished into a tiny auditorium to tour and gain information about local charities in Beijing. This year’s CAS fair is what originally gauged my interest with the Bethel Foundation, which helped me get officiated with a child at the Beijing School for the Blind. Because of my encounter with Bethel, I am now able to use it as my CAS project for my coming years in the IB program.

If going to a fair is not a possibility, the internet is also a great resource for you to find out about organizations near you. Many charities in Beijing have websites that provide information about the charity and their mission and have contact information about how to get involved. My sister, Lily Sandifer-Stech, worked collaboratively with her classmates to organize a Charity Gala at YCIS to raise money for the YuHua Charity, a home for children with mental and physical disabilities. She and her classmates selected the foundation because one of her classmates had previously contacted the organization and volunteered there, and felt passionate about continuing to support them.

CAS projects themselves come along with many challenges. Not only does it require a lot from students, but many students encounter problems that come with organizing their chosen task. When describing how she managed to organize the Charity Gala, Lily said: “The hardest part about the process was advertising. We didn’t really know how to do it”. Quite often, unrealistic expectations can drop a bombshell and ultimately change the course of the project. “We didn’t realize how limited our audience was; we had to change the way we were advertising [the Charity Gala].” Luckily, teachers are always encouraging students to come to them if they are having difficulties with their project. “Our supervisor for the project was very helpful,” Lily adds. “I learned that when you advertise, you can’t just describe the event. You have to emphasize what it is for.”

Although CAS can seem like an unnecessary burden hoisted upon the shoulders of IB students everywhere, the skills that CAS teaches are applicable in situations beyond the classroom. One of the main purposes of CAS is to encourage personal development and teach students how to work with others towards a common goal. It also is a counterbalance to the immense academic pressure that comes with the IB program, and can help clear your mind of the many daunting assignments that I’m sure will haunt you throughout your IB life.

Regardless of the workload, your CAS experience will be enjoyable if you work for something you are passionate about. It is something that gives you the freedom of choice and helps you contribute to the good of your community in the process.

Photo: i.ytimg.com

This article is written by Chloe Sandifer-Stech from Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing)

Interested in writing for beijingkids? Email us at webeditor@beijing-kids.com or visit our Student Correspondents Program main page for more information.

Hailing from Texas, freelance photographer Dave Hanssen is the founder of Dave’s Studio, a family-run and family-oriented photo studio. With an extensive background in fashion and commercial studio photography, as well as working with children both at home and in the studio, Dave brings his creative and personal style to Hegezhuang Village (between Shunyi and Chaoyang Districts). His current studio specializes in three main areas: kids and family photos, (whether fashion or home shoots); annual school portraits for international schools; and business or corporate headshots. Staying true to the family theme, he works with his wife in the studio and has two children in school, one at Harrow International School Beijing.
Hanssen was convinced by two friends working in Beijing to move to China in 2008 and hasn’t looked back since. He started work in a commercial fashion studio but, in 2010, with the beginning of a growing family, Hanssen felt like he was spending too much time at work and not at home. Now was the time to breakaway and start his own business, one that allowed him to spend as much time with his family and the international community whilst doing what he loved best. Nevertheless, freelance photography is never easy. “Every day is a hustle,” he explains. “I might be booked up for a month, but after that I’ve got to find more work. But it goes both ways. The more I work today, the more work I will get in the future.”
Inspiration comes from everywhere and everything he does. Hanssen is constantly on the lookout for new ways to approach shoots, new settings, and ways to bring out the best of each family. Whether he is driving his kids to school, commuting around Beijing, or just talking to people, he is constantly asking: could I shoot here? How would this work?
Hanssen takes well-deserved pride in the personal, relaxed service he offers to his clients. He not only does shoots in the studio, but as a freelancer he is flexible in going all around Beijing, thus able to personalize his photo shoots by creating the perfect environment for the client. Having worked with beijingkids before, we also know very well how easily he puts kids at ease. Hanssen knows all the tricks to making them smile for the shots and behave in front of the camera, which is certainly no easy feat. Parents can relax and not stress about making their children behave on the big photo day. Parents relaxing leads kids to relax, and the naturalness and joy of his models shine through in the final photos.
His most popular product is the kid’s package, priced at RMB 4,850. This includes: the session fee, hair and makeup artist, 22 photos fully edited in an 8” album, 100 digital photos hand-picked by the client, 4 by 60cm canvas, and 22 postcard prints.

Find Dave’s Studio on Wechat (ID: pixstudio2014), davesstudio.rocks, 139 1026 8205北京市朝阳区何各庄村红厂艺术设计产业园B5

This article originally appeared on page 11 of the October 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF DAVE’S STUDIO

Graduating student artists from Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS) recently had the chance to show off their hard work during the school’s IB (International Baccalaureate) student art exhibition. See the artwork by two talented student artists and their descriptions below.

Perspective
by Terry Kim
The body of my artwork’s theme is ‘Perspective.’ At first, the topic felt too vague for me. There are many types of perspective such as three point perspective or one point perspective, but through doing my art, I figured out how I would deal with this complex theme. An artist, I believe, should express their own thoughts and feelings in addition to representing other people’s feelings. Therefore, I tried to combine my own perspective with others and visualize it through my artwork.

Usually I use acrylic paints on canvas. This is because this style allows me to fix my paintings if and when I want to improve some parts. Moreover, I like to mix colors randomly and find my own style. I also used some 3D materials like mod-rock, glass, and magazines to create my artworks. Using a variety of materials is an important part of experiencing and developing oneself. So while I mainly using acrylic paints, I also tried to combine this style with different materials.

The artist who has influenced me greatly is Jean Dubuffet. His style of somewhat childish yet serious types of paintings has made me think about the diversity of art. He says that his works are from pure and creative impulses, which is not influenced by mainstream culture, which he thinks is killing the development of art. When I am creating my artworks, especially in abstract pieces, I try to find my own way of expressing ideas. I don’t want the viewers to fully understand what my artwork is expressing, because I think this limits the freedom art has.

Jing Sui Xin Zhuan
by Zach Wang
My theme comes from a four-character Chinese idiom ‘Jing Sui Xin Zhuan’. It means "the environment should change within the heart." I came up with this theme during a two-week volunteer program in Qinghai, west China. Qinghai is a province that is approximately 3000m above sea level. The school I volunteered at was located far away from the town with nothing but grasslands, mountains, and clouds all around. This place embodied the words tranquility and peace; there was no traffic, no lights, no pollution or anything else one might be accustomed to in this modern world. It was here where I felt truly like myself. I felt free to explore who I was, without having any external source or pressure to influence me. The time I spent there made me realize that people of any age should try and find their raw, innocent, and untouched side. This sprouted the idea of not letting the environment around you change who you are – to always stay true and be yourself.

During a private meeting in 2014, Mr. Ai Wei Wei and I discussed the possible ways that I could further develop my theme and he brought forth many ideas and issues regarding religion, society, and daring to be different. His kind, wise words were the source of great inspiration with many of my artworks.

Throughout the IB course, I’ve managed to develop my skills of sculpture, casting, drawing, and video editing. Many of my works are sculptures created with mass cultural materials that I bought from local Chinese household markets such metal tubes, plastic films, and household gloss paints influenced by contemporary Chinese contexts. During many processes of creating artworks, I’ve also explored new media and discovered new techniques, which eventually helped me to make my work unique.
 

Photos: Courtesy of YCIS

Undying fame. A plug for your school. And most important of all: a big pizza party for you and your friends. Sound up your alley?

Then get your creative juices flowing and be the next big pizza box artist for Gung Ho! Pizza.

The Gungsters are launching a new kids’ menu on June 1 and to celebrate they are throwing a competition for students in Beijing to design their next pizza box.

Imagine the thrill you’ll experience when people all over Beijing receive their pizzas in boxes decorated with your own creative efforts (and your school’s logo). If that won’t get you into the MFA program at Yale, nothing will.

The contest has two two divisions: one for Under 12s and another for kids 12 to 18. One winner will be selected in each division, and their work will be used for Gung Ho’s Large and Medium pizza boxes for three months over the summer season beginning in late June or early July.

Gung Ho Marketing Manager Rich Akers is also hoping the art teachers of Beijing will help motivate their students to go for it. "If a talented student from your institution wins, we’d be happy to feature your logo on our box next to the winning design," he notes.

Some of the critical details:

The Theme: Summer in Beijing

The Colors: Black & Pink on white background

The Minimum Size: 20cm x 20cm

The Deadline: June 14, 2015

Pink and black are Gung Ho’s colors, hence the color limitations. It goes without saying that the design should be perfectly square so that it can be reproduced on square pizza boxes.

Artwork should be submitted to rich@gunghopizza.com.

Gung Ho has a long tradition of supporting local artists via its pizza boxes, as anyone who has ordered from one of their three locations knows.

Artists are handsomely credited on every box, so you’ll make your mark not just with your art but with your name and bio as well.

Here’s a few of the designs that have decorated pizza boxes in the past, to get your creative juices flowing:

 Images: Courtesy of Gung Ho! Pizza