Mountains and rivers on canvas: A China-Arab art documentary unveiled

A timeless painting does more than depict a landscape—it tells a story.

In the spring of 2026, the 14th “Silk Road: Artists’ Rendezvous — Renowned Arab Artists Visit China for Cultural Exploration” brought together nine distinguished Arab artists from Egypt, Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia for a cultural exploration in China. Alongside three Chinese painters, they embarked on a journey from Beijing’s Forbidden City to the scenic mountains and seas of Fujian. Throughout their travels, they created art and built friendships, culminating in a collaborative scroll painting titled A Journey of Mountains and Seas, A Journey in Song, as well as individual masterpieces. This artistic expedition became a dialogue between civilizations, expressed through five distinct colors.

Red: Echoes of ancient civilizations

Egyptian artist Mohamed Sabry Bastawy Hassan chose red as the focal color of his work. From the majestic Forbidden City to the intricate art of glove puppetry, he found a shared spiritual essence. His piece, The Tree of Life, uses Chinese red to cleverly merge ancient Egyptian script with the Chinese auspicious number “eight”.

Blue: Maritime Silk Road resonance

Omani artist Yousuf Ali Hamed Al-Nahwi employed deep blue to depict ancient sailing vessels. Blue serves as the foundation of his paintings, symbolizing beauty and spiritual solace. Through three paintings, he illustrates the maritime Silk Road connection between China and Arab countries, exclaiming with admiration, “China is incredible!”

Yellow: A shared sense of home

Jordanian artist Rania Hamad Mousa Albayaydah and Omani artist Maryam Mohamed Abdul Karim Al Zadjali were inspired by the warm yellow hues of Zhangzhou’s tulou and Yunshuiyao Ancient Town. The wisdom of constructing tulou with raw earth parallels traditional Jordanian architecture. Rania captured the beauty of Eastern homes by depicting Chinese women, while Maryam’s triptych, Harmony in Diversity, Beauty in Coexistence, links landmarks from six Arab countries with the Great Wall of China, celebrating the sentiment of “harmony in diversity”.

White: The philosophy of blank space

Algerian artist Yasser Ameur delved into the significance of white in traditional Chinese ink painting. Guided by Chinese painter Zhang Qiuju in Fuzhou, he learned that “leaving blank space isn’t emptiness; it’s an invitation for imagination.” The two artists exchanged paintings, forging a friendship across mountains and rivers.

Green: A love letter to China

Moroccan artist Sidi Mohammed Mansouri Idrissi named his work after the tour guide Luo Chen. The lush green tea mountains of Wuyi Mountain and the vitality of the younger generation inspired his heartfelt tribute: “I came from Morocco with brushes and canvas, thinking I would depict you, but found that you are reshaping me. My paintings all bow before your greatest masterpiece: China!”