Raz Barfield

　　Associate Dean International Partnerships

　　School of Arts and Media

　　University of Salford

　　Director, Ladies and Gentlemen,

　　I am delighted to be here this evening to share a few thoughts about my good friend and colleague, Dr Wang Qijun, whom I have known for 9 years.

　　I first met Qijun in my previous job, working for the Glasgow School of Art, one of the world's great art schools. We were thrown together from opposite sides of the world and tasked with the daunting but inspiring challenge of developing something new, innovative and very special in the field of Higher Education. Together, we built and delivered a new and revolutionary international education programme at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Our programme was widely recognised even at the time-rightly, I believe-as an important sign of things to come; of the widely varied forms of transnational education and collaboration that are now transforming the lives and futures of so many young and gifted students.

　　It was, I believed at that time, as I still do, an early prototype perhaps, of a civilised, enlightened and very human form of cross-cultural exchange. It is no surprise, therefore, that right at the heart of an innovation so progressive, you would find someone like Qijun. From all I know of the man, and of the many times we have shared insights and experiences, this principle, this ideal, is fundamental to his being, to his life, and to his work in all its various manifestations.

　　Wang Qijun is rightly celebrated as a world-leading authority in his field. He is a genuine scholar, erudite and learned, yet humble before his subject, and always inquisitive, which is the most important attribute for any creative person to possess. It is inspiring to see such a well-respected expert in his field so genuinely enthusiastic when discussing his subject. And it is touching to witness a leading academic and authority become so excited-just like a young boy-as he strides off towards some ancient building. I have been fortunate enough to accompany Qijun in visits to ancient sites in China on many occasions, and on these trips, in his company, I have been lucky enough to see the past through his eyes. And then, at those moments, magically, what, to me, appeared to be a broken-down pile of bricks and rotting timbers, would become a fascinating site for discovery, and a window into another time and place, as Qijun brought it to life through his explanation, in the way he pointed out the tiniest detail, giving glimpses into another world, and by so doing made it live and breathe - he made it human.

　　And that is the sign of a real teacher.

　　Also of an artist - that is what art does; show us the world in new ways, and ultimately, gives us new insights into ourselves. Great art does the simplest and most profound thing: it holds up a mirror to the viewer and says "this is you, and this is me; this is what we are, and this is the common identity and experience we share."

　　And at this time, with a world changing as never before, with cultures aligning, intersecting, colliding and interacting, the world is fortunate to have people like Qijun-who has seen and knows both sides of -holding up that mirror.

　　Qijun is rooted in the deepest traditions of Chinese culture, yet he is genuinely an international man, at home anywhere, and this is reflected in the breadth of his practice. He can move effortlessly between the formal and idiomatic conventions of Chinese and Western art, with a supreme technical mastery in both, across an enviable range of mediums, and he can fuse them, with each informing the other. He remains true to both traditions, whilst innovating, and enriching one with another.

　　I am grateful for the opportunity to see this marvellous work, and would like to thank the gallery, curators and the artist, as well as the many others whose efforts have made this exhibition possible. This is the first time I have seen Qijun's work exhibited outside China, and, in relative terms, so close to home, so it is a special pleasure to be here to see it. I am likewise honoured to have been invited to speak today, and to share a few thoughts, and my appreciation of my good friend, and highly accomplished scholar, educator, author and artist, Wang Qijun.

　　Raz Barfield

　　21st February 2014