News | The Beverly Arts

The Beverly Arts
- Jun 17, 2021

"How to Face the Challenges Posed by the Pandemic" - An International Connection Interview

Updated: Jun 18, 2021

Joey Zhou with paintings by Jiannan Huang

Los Angeles, California, USA. 17th June, 2021. TV host Joey Zhou hosted an international connection interview with guests participating from three different time zones by video conference - the theme was "How to Face the Challenges Brought by the Pandemic". The interview began at 9 am in Los Angeles, with artist Jiannan Huang connecting from Beijing, China (12:00am) and Olympic medalist Donghua Li from Switzerland (6:00pm). Joey Zhou is founder of The Beverly Arts, the "Zhou Zheng Art Channel", the Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) International Art Festival and The Beverly Arts Online Exhibition, and the Beverly News.

Jiannan Huang from Beijing, China

Jiannan Huang

Mr. Jiannan Huang is an internationally renowned artist and oil painter, ranking 19th in the world and 3rd in China. His artwork sells for very high prices, and he has a strong following in Asia, Europe, and America. Huang is also the chief representative of overseas artists for the 2022 Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing, China, and has appeared on many live TV shows in China, with many attracting over 300 million viewers. He is a LABA International Art Festival blue chip artist, Senior Consultant for The Beverly Arts, and well-known for his charity work. In the past year, he has produced many new paintings, participated in art exhibitions, and has continued his charity work to help others during the pandemic.

Donghua Li, 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist

Donghua Li

Mr. Donghua Li is an athlete who competed for Switzerland in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and won the gold medal for the pommel horse in gymnastics. He is also a World Champion and holds championship titles in China, Europe, and other places. He is a Senior Consultant for the LABA International Art Festival. Since the outbreak of the pandemic this year, he has opened a new chapter in his life and is producing a TV feature about called the "Donghua Li Challenge Tour and Interview".

Tina Shih, New Silk Road Industry Group

Tina Shih

Ms. Tina Shih has had a long time career in the modeling and beauty industry in Los Angeles. She is known as the godmother of the Los Angeles Asian model, and is the founder of China's New Silk Road Industry Group, New Silk Road (International). IAPA appraised her as the winner of the Best Model Instructor Award, and she is also a Senior Consultant of LABA International Art Festival. She has continued her work in the beauty industry and has been participating in beauty pageants.

The guests had a lively conversation about their experiences during the pandemic, how they were meeting the challenges, and preparing for the upcoming year as things open up an return to normal again. At the end of the interview, they all joined Joey Zhou for a toast to success in the upcoming year.

Joey Zhou talks to guests by video conference on his iPad

Joey Zhou is gets ready for a champagne toast

Joey Zhou and his online guests share a toast together

Joey Zhou doing an interview with media

The co-producers participating in the live online interview, "How to Face the Challenges of the Epidemic", were: The Beverly Arts, Beverly News Network, "Interview with Zhou Zheng", "Zhou Zheng Art Channel", LABA International Art Festival, United Nations Association of the USA, Inland Empire, Royal Society of St. George, California Branch, and the US Art Bank.

The Beverly Arts
- Jun 12, 2021

Xinyong Wang - The Fusion of East and West in the World of Contemporary Art

"Happiness" by Xinyong Wang

Xinyong Wang is an artist with his own style that blends the traditions of Chinese calligraphy and ink painting with Western influences and his own innovative techniques. His artistic creations reflect the many flavors of East and West fusion, an integration between cultures that opens the boundaries through the arts for creative expression. While some artists choose to build bridges between East and West cultures, others such as Wang, choose to merge cultures by mixing and blending traditional Chinese and Western techniques and developing their own personal style of contemporary art.

"No-Self" by Xinyong Wang

Wang studied at a well-known art school China, the Nanjing Arts Institute and China’s Central Academy of Fine Arts, and has been studying painting and calligraphy for over 20 years. He continually works at developing new techniques to keep his art distinctive and on the cutting edge. He is passionate about ink painting, which he sees as a critical element of his Chinese identity, yet enjoys traveling to expand his knowledge of art from Western cultures. Wang has traveled to the United States, United Kingdom, and other countries to study abroad, absorbing the techniques of Western oil painting, fresco, sculpture, architecture, and other artistic styles.

There is a special charm to Xinyong Wang's paintings that is whimsical, introspective, and warm-hearted. He likes to tell a story by either capturing a moment in nature, or incorporating symbolism from Chinese culture to communicate a message through his art. Like the painting "Happiness", where the green reptile is watching a balloon pass by above him. You can see the curiosity of the green reptile, as he is perched on a piece of wood that looks to be a dead tree branch looking up at the balloon. In the painting, there are the Western influences of realism with the many delicate, precise brush strokes that created the subject matter - the detailed representation of the wood grain, the use of light and shadow, and the use of shaded color to create the realism of the green reptile and balloon. The textured paper and space around the subjects adds the Chinese influence of an unpainted background, along with the refined mastery of ink brush technique and Chinese paint. In Western art, a painting typically has a foreground and background and would include a painted sky along with the other surrounding elements of nature that would depict the rest of the scene.

"Dancing with the Wind" by Xinyong Wang"

In the paintings, "No-Self" and "Dancing with the Wind", seed pods from the lotus flower are featured which are a symbol of prosperity and "many decendents" (offspring) in Chinese culture. The seed pods are created with such exceptional detail and realism, along with a pleasing composition that gives you a sense of graceful movement and style, and that they are really dancing and moving in the wind. While the hands that hold the seed pods are simply created in white and have very little detail, they do in fact, look a bit like white gloves, with the fingers interestingly gestured in an animated and whimsical manner.

"Freedom-3" by Xinyong Wang

In another East and West fusion painting style, "Freedom-3", Wang creates a mosaic-inspired painting that also looks like a handmade quilt, and features parts of butterflies in the center squares. While butterflies are typically a symbol of freedom in Western cultures, in Chinese culture they are a symbol of immortality and bliss. This leaves the viewer open to their interpretation, but at first look, there does appear to be a flurry of butterflies flying around in the center with the many parts of wings in the painting creating the illusion of movement. This another painting done in remarkable detail and refinement that showcases the mastery of Wang's ink and painting skills when blended with Western influences and culture in his East and West fusion style.

Currently living in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, Xinyong Wang has participated in many art exhibitions, lectures and cultural exchanges in Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Taos, as well the J. Wayne Stark Galleries at Texas A&M University, Brazos Valley Art Center, and Asia Study Center at Michigan State University. Wang is a member of the Artists Association & Calligraphers Association in Jiangsu Province, Chairman of Jiangsu Micro Technology & Culture Co. Ltd., Executive Vice President of the US- Jiangsu General Chamber of Commerce, and Deputy Director of the Culture and Arts Commission of the US-Jiangsu General Chamber of Commerce.

Xinyong Wang at his exhibition "Love Letters to Nature" at the Ning Zhou Gallery in Laguna Beach, California

The Beverly Arts
- Jun 7, 2021

Royal Society of St. George Honorary Member Award Ceremony for Matt Goss and Laura Angelini

Updated: Jun 11, 2021

Laura Angelini, Matt Goss, and Princess Karen Cantrell

Beverly Hills, California, USA. 6th June, 2021. The Royal Society of St. George (RSSG), California Branch held an elegant champagne luncheon and honorary member ceremony for Matt Goss and Laura Angelini at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The ceremony was co-hosted by the RSSG California Chairman Ratu Muda Princess Karen Cantrell and Vice Chairman Raja Muda Christopher A. Chambers.

Princess Karen Cantrell and Christopher A. Chambers

The two new honorary members are both very accomplished music artists. Mr. Matt Goss is a British singer, songwriter and musician, currently living in the United States. He was the lead singer of the popular band Bros in the 1980s, and has gone on to have a successful solo career. He has a best-selling book, "More Than You Know: Autobiography". Laura Angelini is a singer and one of the top 40 billboard recording artists in the United States. She is also a philanthropist who has her own charitable organization and works to make changes through music.

Honorary Member certificates and medals, with one medal on display

Matt Goss receives his RSSG Honorary Membership medal

Matt Goss gives his acceptance speech for Honorary Membership

Laura Angelini receives her RSSG Honorary Membership medal

Laura Angelini gives her acceptance speech for Honorary Membership

The event started with a tribute to HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (June 10, 1921 - April 9, 2021), with speeches and remembrances on his life. RSSG trustees Ahmed Fathi, Sandro Monetti, and the RSSG Advisory Board Director Dr. Craig Paterson gave passionate speeches which were followed by a toast in his honor. There was memorial book on a table with photos where the guests could write their personal messages and tributes to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Tribute to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh with photos and memorial book

Ahmed Fathi

Sandro Monetti

Dr. Craig Paterson

Champagne toast to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Mr. Jiannan Huang, who is the first Asian artist to become an honorary member of the RSSG California, sent a congratulatory video from Beijing, China. He spoke with Princess Karen Cantrell and Joey Zhou by video conference call while on the red carpet with iHeart radio host Janet Zipper.

Janet Zipper, Princess Karen Cantrell, Jiannan Huang, and Joey Zhou

Jiannan Huang

After the honorary membership ceremony, Princess Karen Cantrell announced the new members to the RSSG guests - Liviu Bana, Kevin Courseault, Jaspreet Dosanjh, and Donna Jett. Christopher A. Chambers, Deputy Chairman of the RSSG of the Royal Society, led everyone in a tribute and toast to Queen Elizabeth II.

Liviu Barna - New Member of RSSG

Kevin Courseault - New Member of RSSG

Jaspreet Dosanjh -- New Member of RSSG

Donna Jett - New Member of RSSG

Champagne toast to Queen Elizabeth II

Special champagne glasses honored Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Kevin Courseault and Princess Karen Cantrell

The Royal Society RSSG California President, Princess Karen Cantrell, gave two Royal Society members, the artist Mr. Jiannan Huang, and the well-known entrepreneur Chevalier Peter L. Eckert congratulations on a their birthdays with a "Happy Birthday".