20 September 2025, Jingdezhen – The Fifth Online Oil Painting Teaching Achievements Exhibition of the Open University of China (OUC) and Seniors University of China (SUC) was officially opened in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. The exhibition showcases works by 104 participants from 20 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) across China, as well as from countries and regions including the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan. The participants average 57 years of age, with the oldest being 82. Their experience in oil painting ranges from as little as one month to six years. The exhibition amply demonstrates the vast potential of universal aesthetic education and lifelong learning.
Remarks by the Guest Speakers
As a key initiative of the OUC (SUC) to promote public aesthetic education, the Online Oil Painting Project has attracted over 6.6 million participants since its launch, with 43,000 registered learners. It has organised five exhibitions and published five accompanying volumes. The project has been featured multiple times in media. In 2023, it was honoured as a “Lifelong Learning Brand” in the National New Era Awards and successfully introduced oil painting courses for beginners into SUC. The project has developed an innovative teaching model that uses “small-scale offline activities to drive large-scale online engagement”, which has been widely appreciated by senior learners. Guided by OUC (SUC)’s ethos of “learning for everyone, everywhere, at any time”, the project is committed to providing accessible, systematic, and professional aesthetic education resources to art enthusiasts around the world. By breaking down barriers of geography, age, and background, it brings art into households everywhere, playing an active role in preserving cultural heritage, enhancing aesthetic appreciation, and strengthening social cohesion.
Exhibition Site
This achievements exhibition serves both as a concentrated showcase of online art education outcomes and a cross-media, cross-regional exchange in aesthetic education. The profound heritage of Jingdezhen’s ceramic art converges here with the open expression of oil painting, creating an interdisciplinary dialogue. It injects new vitality into promoting public aesthetic education and building an active ageing society where older adults can learn, enjoy life, and continue making meaningful contributions.
The exhibition was organised by the OUC School of Art and College Affiliated to SUC. Attendees included LIU Zili, Secretary of the Party Committee of Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture Tourism Group; CHEN Xingyan, former Secretary of the Party Committee of Fujian Open University; LIU Caimei, Dean of the College Affiliated to SUC; XU Hang, Deputy Director of the Art Operation Centre of the School of Art; and TANG Yingshan, Professor of the Online Oil Painting Teaching Team. The event was hosted by LIU Xiaonan, Deputy General Manager of OUC Bell & Horn Education and Technology Beijing Co., Ltd.
Contributed by School of Art