China: The Three Emperors - 1162-1795

Platform for Art

Westminster Underground Station Until 30 April 2006

Chinese Treasures presents a stunning display of art by children produced in response to China: The Three Emperors, 1662—1795 at the Royal Academy of Arts. This exhibition is the result of a collaboration between TFL’s Platform for Art and the Royal Academy’s Education Department and coincides with the Mayor’s China in London season 2006.

Twenty-two students, aged 7-8 years, from Soho Primary School created a collection of contemporary paintings and drawings inspired by treasures of the Qing Dynasty, following a visit to China: The Three Emperors, 1662—1795. The imaginative responses included a digital clock with wings, a hoover adornered in elaborate Chinese characters, a dragon shaped car and a flowering bicycle.

These works have been reproduced for two murals at Leicester Square and Westminster Underground stations. Graphic Designer, James Merry has mounted the children’s art onto mock display cabinets, which will be installed at Leicester Square Underground on 29 January and at Westminster Underground from 14 February.

Soho Primary School has the highest concentration of Chinese students in the London area and frequently participates in Royal Academy workshops and other educational programmes.

Notes for Editors
•Platform for Art is the public art programme for London Underground
•Chinese Treasures is one of three projects lead by Platform for Art’s Creative Communities Programme linked to the China in London season (January—April 2006) to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The other two projects are (i) China Dreaming at Southwark Underground station (7 February-30 April) and (ii) Year of the Dog, Photographs by Suki Dhanda, poster exhibition at stations across zones 1-3 (29 January—30 April).
•China: The Three Emperors, 1662—1795 presents imperial treasures of the Qing dynasty. The exhibition is on until 17 April 2006.

For further press information about this project please contact Cathy Woolley at 020 7918 3891 or cathy.woolley@tube.tfl.gov.uk

For more information on Platform for Art, its exhibitions and projects, please tel: 020 7918 4625 or email: plat4art@tube.tfl.gov.uk or visit www.tfl.gov.uk/tube and follow quicklink