Art beat: Finger on the pulse

Shanghai

3 modern artists

Meaning and Matter: The exhibition at MD Gallery features three renowned contemporary Chinese artists: Huang Rui, Li Hongbo and Jiang Ji'an. Curated by Pauline Foessel, the artists have created pieces that tell unique, poetic stories.

10 am - 6 pm, Tuesday - Sunday, through Saturday. MD Gallery, 188 Linqing Road, by Yangshupu Road, Yangpu district, Shanghai. 021-5513-9599.

Stillness comes alive

Stillness Is the Move: The exhibition features two artists who have shared artistic intentions, materiality, sense of place and a similar personal interpretation of natural serenity and the intimacies of process. Li Xin is presenting 12 paintings in ink and oil, and Korean artist Yeong Gill Kim is showcasing his abstract rendering of traditional Korean landscapes.

11 am-7 pm, Tuesday - Sunday, through Jan 31. Shanghai Gallery of Art, 3F, 3 Zhongshan E1 Road, Huangpu district, Shanghai. 021-6321-5757.

Beijing

Making color count

Having studied in France for six years, Yu Dawei, who teaches art at Shandong University, chooses to splash colors with heavy strokes on traditional xuan paper. His current solo exhibition displays dozens of zhong cai (heavily colored) paintings. He creates in his works a mysterious, ever-changing cosmos.

10 am-6 pm, closed on Mondays, through Jan 17. The First Sound Gallery, 798 Art Zone, 2 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5978-9888.

National treasures

The National Museum of China boasts an immense collection of more than 30,000 pieces of ancient inscriptions and calligraphy, which are presented via a wide range of media from oracle bones, bronzeware to bamboo and paper. Of the 120 pieces on show, highlights include Chunhua Ge Fa Tie, a calligraphy album of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) and masterpieces by noted calligraphers.

Daily 9 am-5 pm, ticket booth closes at 3:30 pm and no admission after 4 pm (closed on Mondays). East of Tian'anmen Square, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6511-6400.