LONDON.- K11 Art Foundation partnered with the Royal Academy of Arts for a three-year collaboration in the form of an artist-in-residence exchange programme. Within this programme, the institutions provide residencies for one Chinese artist to the Royal Academy and one RA Schools alumnus to China on a yearly basis. This will provide the RA Schools alumnus with the opportunity for local immersion across different cities in China, and provide Chinese artists with a strong, institutional platform.

The first artist within the programme is Zhang Enli who has been in residence in the Life Room at the RA since August 2018 and is now showing his finished works. The next resident, RA Schools alumnus Paul Schneider, will travel to Shenyang in China for his residency with KAF in November 2018.

Dedicated to fostering cross-cultural exchanges and incubating artistic talent, KAF encourages the experimentation of creative ideas and supports the artistic practices of aspiring Chinese artists and their international counterparts. The new programme between the two institutions exemplifies KAF’s unceasing dedication to maximising resources for the professional development of emerging Chinese artists and supporting established artists to excel further, as well as demonstrating the RA’s dedication to promoting the sharing of ideas across borders.

The current artist-in-residence of the collaboration is Shanghai-based painter Zhang Enli. Since starting his one-month residency in London in mid-August, Zhang has been working in the RA’s historic Life Room, where internationally renowned artists and professors have taught and lectured over the past 150 years, and has transformed it into a working space, or, as he describes it, ‘a miniature studio’. Having created a site-specific installation and a series of new paintings, Zhang has responded to the history of the space. Visitors to the RA are invited to view Zhang’s finished works in the Life Room for an open studio weekend from 14th September – 16th September, 12pm – 4pm.

In November 2018, RA Schools alumnus Paul Schneider, who works and lives in London, will travel to Shenyang, China to participate in the artist-in-residence programme. He will work alongside the local and art communities, engaging with the local environment and new audiences as well as learning new skills employed by local craftsmen. This residency will be the artist’s first-ever visit to China and will culminate in the creation of a brand new site-specific art work in Shenyang to be unveiled in 2019.

Adrian Cheng, Founder and Honorary Chairman of K11 Art Foundation said: “Following a string of acclaimed international collaborations, we are delighted to announce our collaborative three-year partnership with the Royal Academy which is emblematic of KAF and the RA’s shared mission of promoting cross-cultural dialogue and providing our artists with strong platforms and support in actualising large-scale and site-specific works.”