Visitors look at replicas of exhibition halls for the first West Lake International Expo in Hangzhou in 1929. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

The exhibition Oriental Phidias: Rediscovering Liu Jipiao Design Art opened at the China Design Museum of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou on Jan 4.

The event commemorates the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations and the centenary of Art Deco.

Liu Jipiao, a prominent early 20th-century Chinese artist and designer trained in France, was a pioneer in design and architecture. He served as the first director of the Pattern Department at the Chinese National Academy of Art and designed the Chinese Pavilion at the 1925 Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts and the first West Lake International Expo in Hangzhou in 1929. His contributions spanned artistic creation, education, and theory.

The exhibition traces Liu's involvement in three significant Sino-French exhibitions, showing his achievements in painting, pattern design, and architecture through historical documents and works. It also explores the synergy between early Chinese modern design and French modernism of the 1920s and 1930s, offering insights into the origins of modern design in China.

The exhibition traces Liu's involvement in three significant Sino-French exhibitions. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

Visitors learn about Liu's works and achievements at the exhibition. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]