A global touch on Dunhuang's timeless art

Creative fusion

Yelizaveta's first project at the studio involved creating a series of illustrations inspired by China's 24 solar terms, skillfully blending iconic landmarks from Gansu with traditional Chinese flowers.

"Before coming to China, I had never heard of the solar terms," she admitted. "To develop this series, I researched the meaning behind each term and, with the guidance of my mentor Xu Jinlin, carefully selected landscapes and flowers that complemented each other."

Her favorite piece depicts Qingming — both a solar term and a traditional festival for tomb-sweeping. It features the lush grasslands of southern Gansu with lupine flowers in the foreground. "This piece really stretched my imagination," she said.

Yelizaveta is currently focused on painting stones she has collected from the Yellow River, and has completed more than 200 pieces so far. "Painting on stones is more challenging than on paper due to the uneven surfaces," she explained. "However, I find it captivating because it feels like painting murals inside the Mogao Caves."

Although Yelizaveta is now the only foreign artist at the studio, she is not the first. According to Xu Mengyu, a delegation from Russian universities visited the studio as early as 2017 and was deeply impressed by the intricate artist's books. Since then, the studio has served as an overseas practice base for master's students from the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Xu Mengyu also noted that the studio has long been a hub for industry-academia-research collaboration, consistently welcoming talented students from Chinese universities.

"Both Chinese and international interns create works centered on traditional Chinese culture during their time here," she said. "The studio is not just a place for creation; it is also a platform for cultural exchange."