Art beat in July

Fairy tales with a twist

Two artists have come together for an exhibition called Fairy Tale. Sculptor Xie Aige has created statues of chubby women and her latest series has women accompanied by a horse and sometimes a unicorn. Painter Jiang Yu draws girls in surreal contexts. The fairy tales they tell through their art demonstrate their experiences and attitudes toward life, says curator Lu Shijie.

10 am-6 pm, daily except for Mondays, until Aug 1. The Gallery, 87 Moganshan Lu (Road), Putuo district, Shanghai. 021-6298-9766.

Meng Tingwei's tour

Veteran singer Mai (pictured above) from Taiwan will launch her tour, titled Mai's Taipei Love Story, on the Chinese mainland in August. Known for her sweet voice and love ballads, the singer, who is better known as Meng Tingwei, has influenced fans since her first album in 1991. After her son was born in 2007, Mai withdrew from public life until 2013, when she announced a comeback with a new album.

7:30 pm, Aug 2. Century Theater, 40 Liangmaqiao Lu (Road), Chaoyang district, Beijing. 400-610-3721.

Tracing a French inspiration

Xu Beihong (1895-1953) established prominence in modern Chinese art history for incorporating the academic traditions of Europe with the ink-and-wash painting. The exhibition Master and His Masters goes back to the origin of Xu's artistic career when he studied at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-arts (the National School of Fine Arts in Paris). His iconic paintings are displayed with works of his mentors at the college. The juxtaposition celebrates an important period of cultural communications between China and France in the early 20th century.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays, until Aug 3. Beijing World Art Museum, China Millennium Monument, 9/A Fuxing Lu (Road), Haidian district, Beijing. 010-5980-2222.