Expat art exhibition presented at Shanghai Laowai Jie

Turning to Shanghai, where a pedestrian street called Laowai Jie is filled with restaurants offering cuisine from 17 countries. The area is now presenting an expat art exhibition in some of its eateries and stores.

A pedestrian street called Laowai Jie in Shanghai is filled with restaurants offering cuisine from 17 countries. The area is now presenting an expat art exhibition in some of its eateries and stores.

These paintings were created by Enzo Yamada - a Japanese expat who has lived in Shanghai for more than three years. Some of his other works have been shown in galleries or museums, but these paintings are on display in a furniture store. He says he likes the idea as it brings his works into people's daily lives.

Enzo Yamada, Japanese Painter, said, "Many kinds of things surround my painting. The environment is like a house, someone's house. I feel a little change. I feel it's better."

At other shops and restaurants on Laowai Jie, art works including paintings, photos, and sculptures produced by local expats are hanging on walls, or displayed on the stairs.

Iris Caiser, German Restaurant Owner, said, "In the beginning, I was very afraid that the oil paintings upstairs would be smothered with fingers touching that all the time. But until right now actually it's not so much. People enjoy it. They watch it but they don't touch it all the time. So this is very nice. "

In a way of combining art with daily business, the street manager says he hopes to bring art closer to people's everyday life.

Zhang Yajiang, President of "Laowai Jie", said, "Previously, people are used to seeing artistic works at certain venues like museums. It is our brave trial to bring these works directly into people's leisure life with closer or even zero distance. "

The exhibition will run until late December.