"Look Toward the Heavens," an exhibition of works by Chinese artist He Qi, opened June 12 and continues through the month of August in the Tull Hall Gallery at Central. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Sundays 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.; other times by request.

In his color-on-paper paintings, He Qi blends Chinese folk customs and traditional Chinese painting techniques with western art of the Middle and Modern ages. Among mainland Chinese, he was among the first to earn a Ph.D. in religious art following the Cultural Revolution . He wrote his dissertation at the Hamburg Art Institute in Germany, where he also pursued research in medieval art.

Focusing on the creation of Chinese Christian art since 1983, He Qi has said that he hopes his work will help change the "foreign image" of Christianity in China through artistic language, and at the same time, supplement the art of Chinese art as Buddhist art did in ancient times. He Qi was a professor at the Nanjing Union Theological Seminary and a tutor for master candidate students in the philosophy department. He is a member of the China Art Association and a council member of the Asian Christian Art Association.

He has exhibited in Kyoto, Hong Kong, Geneva, Hamburg, London, St. Paul, San Francisco, Berkeley, Madison, New Haven, Minneapolis, Washington, Princeton, Detroit, and Toronto, as well as in mainland China. His work has also been featured by media outlets including the BBC, HK Cable TV, Asian Week, Far Eastern Economic Review, Christianity Today, Upper Room, Augsburg Fortress, Sing Tao Daily News, The World Daily, and others. His art was featured in the Presbyterian Planning Calendar for the years 2005-2006, and in the PCUSA Easter poster in 2008. To view examples of the art by He Qi, click link below.