“A brush is more than an artist’s tool —
it is a vessel of memory, culture, and lived experience.”
Nottinghamshire
Through Chinese Brush
Welcome to Notts Through Chinese Brush (異鄉同源). What happens when one of the world’s oldest artistic traditions encounters the rolling countryside and communities of Nottinghamshire? This summer, discover a unique cultural space where Eastern brushwork meets Western landscapes, and where artistic traditions become a living bridge between past and present, East and West.
The Curatorial Statement
About the Exhibition
Notts Through Chinese Brush brings together three professional artists whose practices are rooted in different traditions of Chinese art, yet who now share a common home in Nottinghamshire. Having each journeyed from their place of birth to build new lives in the UK, they bring with them memories, cultural heritage, and evolving perspectives shaped by migration and belonging.
Working across Shan Shui (Landscape), Mogu Painting (沒骨畫 — “boneless” technique), and Chinese Calligraphy, these practices are not static expressions of heritage; they are living, evolving languages responding to new places, people, and experiences.
Featured Artists & Biographies
Dr.Tsz-wun Kwong 鄺梓桓博士
Chinese Calligraphy
Biography: Dr Tsz Wun Kwong is a calligrapher, educator, and scholar trained under renowned Hong Kong calligrapher Mr. Man Wai-leung. Formerly a Lecturer in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, he combines the discipline of classical Chinese calligraphy with contemporary reflections on community, belonging, and cultural exchange.
For This Exhibition: Dr Kwong presents a series of calligraphic works inspired by Nottinghamshire's people, places, and local identity, demonstrating how the timeless art of Chinese writing can become a bridge between cultures.
Ms. Jin Wu 吳瑾女士
Mogu Painting
Biography: Ms Jin Wu’s practice centres on the elegant tradition of Mogu Painting (沒骨畫)—a distinctive technique that creates form through colour and layered brushwork rather than defined ink outlines. With decades of dedicated study, she cultivates her own expressive artistic language while celebrating historic art forms
For This Exhibition: Inspired by flowers, birds, and the natural world, her detailed botanical and floral paintings reveal the quiet beauty and vitality of everyday life, capturing the delicate balance between strength and gentleness.
Mr. Ping Kin So 蘇炳堅先生
Traditional Shan Shui (Landscape) Painting
Biography: Mr Ping-Kin So is a Hong Kong-born artist specialising in traditional Shan Shui Painting. Rooted in the philosophy of harmony between humanity and the natural world, his practice found renewed inspiration in the region's rolling countryside, woodlands, and changing seasons after relocating to Nottinghamshire.
For This Exhibition: While remaining faithful to classical brush techniques, his recent works respond directly to the quiet beauty of Britain's rural environment, creating a dialogue between Eastern artistic traditions and Western landscapes.
Community Gallery
The Magic Brush Community Gallery
From Ancient Symbols to New Imagination
Inspired by the origins of Chinese pictograms, local schoolchildren were encouraged to explore how some of the world’s oldest written symbols first emerged from nature—how mountains, rivers, and trees gradually evolved into Chinese characters. Using these ancient symbols as a starting point, each child transformed a chosen Chinese character into an original artwork. ALL entries will be proudly displayed alongside the work of our featured professional artists!
🗳️ Live Public Voting: Come along to the exhibition, view their wonderful creations, and cast your vote on the day for the People’s Choice Award!
Competition Deadline: 15 July 2026
Press & Media
📢 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Believed to Be Bingham's First Chinese Art Exhibition
Traditional Chinese art takes centre stage in Bingham this summer. Organised by Neighbourhood Studio CIC in partnership with The Jan Parnham Trust and Word Heart Studio, this exhibition explores identity, memory, and belonging in Britain.
Are you a journalist or blogger? You can read our official press release below or download the full media package including high-res artwork previews.
Media Contact
Josephine Ng (NBH Studio CIC)
📧 Email: josgigi.uk@gmail.com
📞 Phone: 07713855091
Opening Ceremony
Dates: 25 July 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 NOON
Venue: Long Acre Arts, Long Acre, Bingham, Nottingham, NG13 8BG
*🎁 Special Opening Ceremony Highlight
All guests attending the Opening Ceremony on Saturday morning will receive a complimentary, personalized Chinese calligraphy bookmark, hand-written live with your name by our featured calligrapher. A perfect cultural keepsake to take home!
Exhibition Info
Dates: 25 – 26 July 2026
(Opening Ceremony 25 July 2026 10am)
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Venue: Long Acre Arts, Long Acre, Bingham, Nottingham, NG13 8BG
Admission: FREE ADMISSION
Credits
Organizers & Sponsors
Organized by
Neighbourhood Studio by NBH Studio CIC
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Venue Sponsor
The Jan Parnham Trust (Long Acre Arts)
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Featured Artists
Dr. Jeffrey Tsz-wun KWONG
Jin WU
Ping-kin SO
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Academic & Curatorial Team
Academic Advisor (Inscriptions & Calligraphy)
Dr. Jeffrey Kwong Tsz-wun (Word Heart Studio)
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Curator
Josephine Ng
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Media Contact
Josephine Ng
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Exhibition Coordination (Internal & External)
Helen Chow
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Design & Art Direction
Helen Chow, Jin Wu
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Amazing Volunteers
Charis So, Edith So, CK Wong, Woody Wong
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Opening Ceremony Food & Drink
Yeung Sing Restaurant Bingham
15 Market St, Bingham, Nottingham NG13 8AB
From 12:00 PM (25 July 2026), a selection of Hong Kong-style snacks —
including spring rolls, dumplings, bao buns, French toast, and milk tea
— will be available for purchase from Yeung Sing Restaurant.
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Light Snacks
MeeCafe
6 Beechwood Road, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 8BA
Light snacks (Cantonese style fishballs and sandwiches) generously provided by MeeCafe