Tang Yusong and his graduation creation. 　(Picture provided by the interviewee)

Zhang Wenyu is designing clothes. (Picture provided by the interviewee)

"Last night, the west wind withered the green trees, and I climbed up to the tall building alone, looking at the end of the world."

When it comes to studying abroad, When talking about the original intention of studying art abroad, many students said that they wanted to have a deeper understanding and grasp of art by studying abroad.

Fang Xiang studied at Wimbledon College of Art, University of the Arts, London, majoring in fine arts. When talking about why he studied art abroad, he said: "I am an idealistic person and my dream is to become an oil painting artist. Oil painting is a foreign type of painting that originated in Europe. Most art schools in China do not understand it as "original". So sometimes I can't help but think: How do foreign artists create oil paintings now? Do their painting methods inherit the tradition, or do they have some new developments? With the idea of ​​solving these doubts, I decided to study abroad. My undergraduate and master's studies were in Anhui and Yunnan provinces respectively. There are relatively few museums and galleries in these two provinces, which is a disadvantage for art students. "

Liu Ling (pseudonym) is currently studying at Communication University of China, majoring in photography. As graduation approaches, she is preparing to study abroad. She said: "Most of the professors at well-known foreign art schools are well-known artists in the industry, while some of the lecturers in our school have just graduated from school and have relatively little teaching experience. I once took summer classes at an art school abroad, and the professors there would assign a lot of relevant reading materials after class. "Knowing what is happening, and even better knowing why it is happening" is a necessary attitude for us to deepen our understanding of art, and our school focuses more on teaching photography technology. The reason why I chose to study abroad is that I hope I can make greater progress in a different artistic environment. ”

“Ask the canal where the clear water is, and the source of running water will come”

The charm of art lies in the diverse life experiences. Constant exposure to diversified artistic concepts helps students maintain “inspiration.” There are considerable differences between the artistic creation concepts and teaching methods of foreign colleges and universities and domestic ones. Students said, By studying "art" abroad, they can feel different artistic atmospheres and understand artistic creation from different perspectives.

Fang Xiang said: "Relatively speaking, tutors in European art schools pay more attention to innovation and pay attention to students' ideas. Even some very novel, weird or even exaggerated ideas will be encouraged." They rarely judge students’ creations as good or bad, but prefer to communicate with students in the form of discussions: ‘This idea of ​​yours is very good, but you must continue to do it. I will support you in every way'; domestic art schools, on the other hand, pay more attention to inheritance, and artistic works will be distinguished according to certain standards. Tutors often say: ‘This work of yours is not good, you should paint like this’. ”

Zhang Wenyu is currently studying at Kingston University in the UK, majoring in fashion. She said: “The art teaching in China is relatively ‘rule-based’ and is curriculum-oriented. As long as you follow the instructions obediently,Just do what the teacher asks. Kingston University's fashion major adopts a one-to-one teaching method, and tutors will try to cultivate students' independent ideas. And the teaching pays more attention to practicality. For example, because fashion design is ultimately market-oriented, our college encourages students to find more internships. I will try to cooperate with some companies commercially and design clothes that fit their company style. ”

“The artistic atmosphere in the UK is very strong. People love art and their artistic literacy is generally high. For example: On the day of Brexit, people were still coming and going in the National Gallery in London. There were many people looking at the works of art carefully, and adults telling their children the stories behind the works of art... These small details moved me very much and made me determined on the path of artistic development. "Fang Xiang said, "The tutors in our school care about what you draw, and more about the creative ideas behind the work; while the 'technique' is a secondary factor, that is, 'how to draw' is not very important to them. Foreign artists attach great importance to the social function of their works when creating, rather than working behind closed doors. They will closely participate in the social process when creating, and only play the role of craftsmen. The quality of work and the cleverness of details are not the only criteria for judging artistic works. Many foreign artists hope that they can think about society from the perspective of intellectuals and care about the audience's perception of their works and the social impact they have. These insights are my biggest gains from studying abroad. "Fang Xiang added.

"The road is long and long, and I will explore it up and down."

When talking about the life of studying art abroad, the word most mentioned by students is "enrichment."

Tang Yusong is currently studying at the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in Russia, studying oil painting. He said: "The Repin Academy of Fine Arts can be said to be the most demanding school in St. Petersburg and even Russia. Drawing from morning to night is the norm in my life while studying abroad, and since you can visit all museums in Russia for free with a student ID card from the Repin Academy of Fine Arts, I stay in museums in the city every weekend. Although my study abroad life is monotonous, it is very fulfilling. "

But it is not easy to stick to the path of art. Students will face many constraints. "Art creation is a constant challenge to creativity, and each creation will face different challenges. It is very common to encounter setbacks, and sometimes we deny ourselves and have the idea of ​​giving up. " Liu Ling said.

Fang Xiang said: "In artistic creation, it is normal to encounter content that cannot be controlled. But I still have to bite the bullet and rush up, which often leads me to dead ends. And I still have to face the problem of how to make a living from art. I hope to become a full-time artist, but I am worried about how to connect with the market and I am afraid that I will not be able to find an entry point, so I first found a job that can support myself and make a transition. "

Despite facing many difficulties, students are still confident in their future development path. Fang Xiang talked about his understanding of studying "art" abroad: "Studying art abroad is like burying a seed in the soil. It may not have sprouted at the time, but it has already affected the direction of personal future development. During this period, you need to take good care of it and wait patiently for it to sprout. In time, it may grow into a towering tree. ”