Attention HKU Alumni! 💚

HKU Alumni Day is back, and UMAG can’t wait to celebrate with you on campus!

Mark your calendars for 14 March 2026 (Sat) and drop by UMAG, which will be open to all alumni and friends throughout the day. You might even get a special preview of our upcoming exhibition, “Tradition & Perfection: Paper Cuttings from China & Switzerland”!

See you there, fellow HKUer!

港大校友注意！💚

HKU Alumni Day 返嚟喇！UMAG已經準備好响校園同你一齊慶祝！

2026 年 3 月 14 日（星期六），UMAG 歡迎你隨時到訪！
你重有機會率先欣賞到我哋即將推出嘅展覽「傳統與至善——中瑞剪藝對話」！

各位HKUer，到時見！

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Featured Artwork:
Basket with Ducks and Rabbits
Albertus Cerbrand Reesen (Holland)
1773
Early folding cut
14 x 9.7 cm

籃中鴨兔
Albertus Cerbrand Reesen (荷蘭)
1773年
早期折叠剪紙
14 x 9.7厘米
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🗓️ 2026年3月14日 (星期六) | 11am - 5pm
📍 香港大學本部校園及百周年校園
🔗 立即登記！alumnigiving.hku.hk/hku-alumni-day/

#HKU #HKUAlumni #香港大學 #HKUAlumniDay2026 ...

Painter and seal carver Wang Xin was born in Xingtai, Hebei province, in 1964, and graduated from the Chinese Painting Department of the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts in 1991. He currently lives in Beijing, where he teaches Master of Fine Arts students at the Communication University of China. This unprecedented exhibition of his paintings of pine trees offers specific insights into his philosophical mindset and, more specifically, the Buddhist influence of the Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra). The opening of the exhibition was held at UMAG on February 26. Officiating guests included the artist

Wang Xin, Dr. Qiu Zhongming, Dr. Chan Kwun Nam, Phil, UMAG Director Dr Florian Knothe and UMAG Associate Curator Dr Shuo Hua.

The artist’s large compositions combine finely rendered ink drawings of rocks and trees with excerpts from the Diamond Sutra. Reminiscent of Wang’s daily religious practice and study of the text, the sutra’s philosophy influences his compositional choices and defines how Buddhist concepts affect his use of space. A pivotal Mahayana Buddhist scripture, the Diamond Sutra is a core text in the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) tradition. Through a dialogue between the Buddha and Subhūti—one of the Buddha’s ten principal disciples, foremost in “dwelling in peace”—it teaches that reality is illusory and empty, revealing profound insights on non-self (anātman) and liberation through non-attachment, impermanence, and emptiness.

Neither meant to illustrate the scripture nor directly support its narrative, Wang’s Diamond Pine depictions carry the gravitas of the Diamond Sutra’s philosophy by depicting trees that transcend commonly expressed symbolic meanings. While in Chinese culture the pine tree symbolises longevity, endurance, steadfastness, and integrity—often representing noble scholars or gentlemen who remain strong and true despite harsh conditions—Wang’s compositions stand out for their use of void spaces. They employ a pictorial language that emphasises the longing for tranquil and peaceful isolation taught by the sutra. ...