Award-winning work by Li Jianpeng. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]

Li Jianpeng, director of the Exhibition Department at Wuxi Museum in Jiangsu province, recently won the bronze award of the Chinese Art Award with his oil painting Distant Horizon, according to the results of the selection announced on Oct 9.

This marks the first time a Wuxi artist has received this award since the establishment of the Chinese Art Award by the Ministry of Culture in 2009, and it is also the only winning work from Jiangsu this year.

Exhibition-goers appreciate artworks in Wuxi. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]

Hosted by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Artists Association, the award is the nation's highest in fine arts.

Li is a doctoral student at the Nanjing University of the Arts and a visiting scholar at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He currently serves as the director of the Exhibition Department at the Wuxi Museum and holds the title of a second-level artist.

Artwork showcased at an art exhibition in Wuxi. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]

His works have received recognition, including being rated excellent in the China National Arts Fund 2023 funding projects and winning the highest art award in Jiangsu.

In recent years, Wuxi has created a strong artistic atmosphere and exchange platforms for local artists via art exhibitions, leading to the emergence of numerous outstanding talents and artworks.