Story by Wang Wenjing, WAB Head of China Studies
Zodiac art by Matt Wehner, WAB Graphic & Digital Design Specialist

The zodiac animals are coming to life at WAB.

From November 22-24, Western Academy of Beijing will host the Middle School International School Theater Association (ISTA) festival. The theme for this year's festival is The Animal Years: 12 Signs of the Zodiac.

Students from different international schools "will explore the characteristics associated with each sign of the Chinese zodiac signs and the extent to which these determine, influence, or reflect our identity." As part of the program, students will create a performance based on the traits and culture of the 12 zodiac signs and their stories. WAB's China Studies Department will set up an exhibition in the HUB Link from November 18-24 for participants and guests to take a deeper dive into the zodiac history and culture.  

For the first time, the exhibition will include paintings from renowned Chinese artist Yuan Xiaolou, featuring zodiac paintings from ancient Chinese rock paintings at Damaidi, which are more than 30,000 years old. A global phenomenon, rock painting is found in many culturally diverse regions of the world, and the oldest known rock paintings of zodiac animals have been found in Damaidi, in China's Ningxia Autonomous Region in China. Yuan Xiaolou is the first Chinese artist who presented these Damaidi rock paintings to the world.

Another famous paper cutting artist, Yao Yulin, will contribute zodiac artwork he created specifically for this festival. Yao uses the special silhouette style of paper-cutting to portray the zodiac images.

Wen Xiaochun, a well-known Chinese artist created a calligraphy panel for each zodiac character. These include eight different ancient and modern styles, like the turtle shell, seal carving, and the 'running-hand' style. 

Please mark your calendar for this special exhibition of Chinese culture in the HUB Link, and join us for what will certainly be an incredible ISTA festival.