Around 450 oil paintings will be auctioned at Dafen Oil Painting Village on May 20, the last day of the third China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair (ICIF).

    The paintings, collected by Buji Subdistrict Government office, are twice the number auctioned last year.

    The paintings include works by 167 artists, of whom 75 are members of China Artists' Association at national, provincial and municipal levels. The rest are members of Dafen Arts Industry Association or veteran artists.

    To satisfy the needs of various collectors, organizers chose 458 paintings for auction, of which 70 percent have no reserve prices.

    In another development, 441 paintings and calligraphy works, including some by artists attending the ICIF, will be on display in Hall 8 of the main venue, Shenzhen Exhibition and Convention Center, from May 17 to 19 and auctioned May 20 at the center's Narcissus hall.

    The auction will include sketches "Where There Is Oppression, There Is Resistance" and "The Waken Years" by well-known artist Wang Shikuo. "The Waken Years," 10,08 meters in length and 0.86 meters in width, is a rarely seen sketch for auction. Wang, born in 1911, was a versatile artist whose works reflected peasants' life during the War of Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945) and China's War of Liberation (1945-1949). His sketches enjoy a high prestige in China's modern art history. The works to be auctioned at the cultural fair reflect peasants' passion after overthrowing their oppressors.

    By: Source: Szdaily web edition