The bookplate, or ex-libris, which is an adaptation from the Latin generally taken to mean 'from the books of', used to be a mark of possession that the book lover pastes in his books, usually on the inside of the front cover, to denote his ownership. It was originally used to mark the gift and ownership of manuscript books in Germany about 1480. The earliest English bookplate dates circa 1520, the earliest French design circa 1574, whilst in America the date is circa 1642. One of the sixteenth century English bookplates was made for no less a personage than Sir Nicholas Bacon, the father of Sir Francis Bacon. 

On the stage of the 2025 CCTV Science Gala, leading scientists and industry pioneers gathered — alongside a special guest from the arts: Lin Mao, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). With imagination-driven storytelling, he explored the moment when technology and art converge at the “peak.”

The exhibition Qian Xinye: Overseas Residency Project Review opened at 3:00 p.m. on December 23, 2025, at the Ink Laboratory Gallery (Basement Level, Building 5) of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). Initiated by CAFA’s School of Chinese Painting, the exhibition presents the latest outcomes of the school’s international residency program.

In December, the School of Calligraphy at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) organized two cultural exchange activities for international exchange students from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Bangladesh, offering them an immersive introduction to Chinese calligraphy and seal carving.

On December 10, 2025, Cassius Antônio da Rosa, Vice Minister of Culture of Brazil, led a delegation to visit the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). The visit took place on the eve of the launch of the “China–Brazil Year of Culture 2026,” marking an important moment for bilateral cultural exchange and laying a solid foundation for deepening cultural and artistic collaboration between the two sides. Xu Yang, Secretary of the Party Committee of CAFA, held in-depth discussions with Vice Minister da Rosa on advancing cultural and artistic cooperation under the framework of the China–Brazil Year of Culture.

Through abstract consciousness and visual artistic shaping, Li Jiwei's latest work "Position"(2023-2025) presents an asymmetrical form that transcends the esthetic and functional expectations of a traditional seat. By incorporating diverse material textures, transparent perspectives, and the expressive allure of painted color, Li expands the visual perception of seating—infusing the object with broader, more nuanced meanings of "Position," while constructing a dialogue with the spatial environment of CAFA Art Museum.

Taikang Art Museum presents The River Divides, The World Connects in Beijing, which is Liu Xiaodong’s most systematic and comprehensive solo presentation to date, bringing together more than 70 original works created from the late 1970s to 2025, forming a condensed portrait of his over-four-decade artistic trajectory. Structured around two parallel threads—“East of the River / West of the River” and “What to Paint / How to Paint”—the exhibition approaches Liu’s work from both geographical and spiritual, thematic and methodological perspectives. Through the interweaving of time and space, it reveals the artist’s continuous process of renewal and reinvention between lived reality and the act of painting.

From November 22 through to December 28, 2025, Tan Tan’s solo exhibition Keep Gathering is on display at Double Double Gallery in Beijing. Through the two mediums of oil painting and pastel on paper, the artist draws inspiration from “home”, capturing everyday visual fragments from various corners of her home and the “simulated homes” in IKEA stores.

On December 5, the Ministry of Education of China and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space jointly hosted the Second China–France Education Development Forum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Huai Jinpeng, China’s Minister of Education, and Philippe Batiste, France’s Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space, attended the forum and delivered keynote speeches.

The moving image refers to a dynamic visual representation that encompasses film, video, animation, video games, and other various forms of digital media which have shaped how we see and feel the world. With selected screenings on the art, history, and new development of the moving image from Spain, CAFA Art Museum presents “OFF-CAMERA: Moving Image” in Beijing.

“Imported Oil Painting: A Retrospective Exhibition of the Maksimov Oil Painting Training Program at CAFA (1955-1957)” was unveiled at CAFA Art Museum on November 21, 2025. The exhibition showcases more than 240 works from the Maksimov Oil Painting Training Program, abundant literature and historical photographs, as well as hundreds of publications, which comprehensively review the teaching achievements of the Maksimov Oil Painting Training Program at CAFA.

On November 8, the 6th International Photography Symposium & 2025 Lishui Photography Festival officially opened in Lishui, Zhejiang Province. Jointly organized by the China Photographers Association and the Lishui Municipal People’s Government, this year’s festival is themed “New Creative Forces, Boundless Vitality.” The program brings together iconic works by world-renowned masters, important collections from leading international photography institutions, and experimental creations by cutting-edge artists, while also showcasing the bold explorations of emerging talents and university students from China and abroad.

On November 8, “Forms and Scenery,” a solo exhibition by Professor Tang Hui of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), opened at Tokyo Gallery + BTAP in Beijing. Tang Hui’s works dissolve the boundaries between figuration and abstraction, juxtaposing traditional motifs—such as mountains and flowing clouds—with futuristic or symbolic linear forms. Together, they create poetic spaces that feel both familiar and estranged, timeless yet rooted in the present moment.

Beijing, November 10, 2025 — The inauguration ceremony of the China–Russia Art Exchange Center of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) and the conferment of an Honorary Professorship upon Prof. Vasily Tsereteli, President of the Russian Academy of Arts, were held today at the CAFA Art Museum.

On October 18, 2025, the fifteenth Florence International Biennale of Art and Design opened at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, with over 600 artists from more than 80 countries participating in this year's event. During the Biennale, Chinese artist Chao Ge, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, was recognized as an outstanding representative in the field of international painting. In acknowledgment of his contributions to the arts, the Biennale's organizing committee awarded him the "Lorenzo il Magnifico" Lifetime Achievement Award of the fifteenth Florence International Biennale of Art and Design.

On October 18, the unveiling ceremony for The Spirit of Hami, a site-specific public art project created by the Sculpture Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), was held at the square in front of Hami Railway Station in Xinjiang. On the same day, the symposium Urban Public Art and Urban Renewal was also convened.

On September 19, 2025, the UNFRAMED Contemporary Art Exhibition officially opened at Bastione del Parlascio, a historic building in Pisa, Italy. Hosted by the Pisa Municipal Tourism and Commerce Bureau, supported by the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) of China and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze as academic organizers, the exhibition is co-organized by the cultural organization EstOvestEst-APS and OEOITALIA. The exhibition is co-sponsored by le Farmacie Comunali (Pisa Municipal Pharmacies), Acque SpA (Tuscany Water Service Joint-Stock Company), and the Italian Chinese Enterprise Association.

CAFA Art Museum presents “OBJECT, TELEPATHY, FORMS: New Sculptural Works by Du Yingqi”, which wraps up the third phrase of “EXPAND + CURATE: YOUNG EXPERIMENT PROJECT SPACE” at its Gallery 3C. The exhibition is academically advised by Prof. Zhang Wei, Dean of CAFA Department of Sculpture and curated by Dr. Li Mingwei from CAFA Department of Sculpture.

Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War, “A Heroic Ode to China — A Retrospective Exhibition of Xu Xingzhi’s Artistic Achievements” was jointly organized by the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the China Artists Association. Featuring over 400 exhibits, it reviews the oeuvre of Prof. Xu Xingzhi by showcasing his artistic achievements covering films, paintings, literature, theater, and art theory.

Few product designs have the staying power of creations by Dieter Rams(1932-), an industrial designer and head of design at Braun, the German consumer electronics manufacturer. Almost everything produced by this most influential designer of the late twentieth century is today considered a classic, as he defines an elegant, legible, yet rigorous visual language for product design.