'Tibetan Fantasy' exhibits handmade blanket art

As an important part of local folk art, Tibetan woolen blankets have long been admired for their beauty and the skill required to make them.

Now an exhibition - Tibetan Fantasy, opened on Monday at Beijing's Imperial Granary and 798 Creative Square - is giving visitors a chance to appreciate this local folk art practiced by craftsmen in Qinghai Province.

More than 100 blankets with traditional patterns such as dragon and phoenix designs and Tibetan scenery, and more modern designs similar to pop art form are at the exhibitions split between the two locations.

Zeng Hui, one of the exhibition's curators and vice director of the organizing committee for the Beijing International Design Week, said that by applying traditional handcraft to everyday items such as blankets, craftsmen go a long way towards protecting and ensuring their traditional arts and techniques continue to survive.

Tibetan scenery paintings by artist Li Yong'an are also at the exhibition set to end December 22.