The crystal pieces were created to mark China and France's 55 years of diplomatic ties in 2019
For a man in his 80s, Han Meilin has not lost his childlike imagination of the world. The prolific Chinese artist, who hails from the Shandong province of China, is best known for depicting his subjects—humans and animals alike—in playful, often cherubic art forms.
Some notable examples include the Fuwa mascots of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics and, more recently, his designs for China Post’s Year of the Rat stamps. In Singapore, one may have come across his artworks of a mother and child at One George Street or Capital Tower.
For over six decades, Han has expressed his artistic ideas through different mediums, from calligraphy and Chinese ink painting, to ceramics and sculpture.
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In 2019, the Unesco Artist for Peace launched a limited-edition collection of pure crystal figurines with French glassware specialist Lalique to celebrate 55 years of diplomatic ties between France and China. Naturally, his chosen symbol for this long-standing friendship is the panda—an animal China has been presenting to other countries as diplomatic gifts since the Tang dynasty, and one that Han is thoroughly familiar with.
