The Silk Road in China

In October 2018, Jamal Joratli brought his Silk Road series to China for the first time, presenting the exhibition “Silk Road Flowers — Jamal Art Touring Exhibition” at the Dalian Modern Museum. The exhibition ran from 18 October to 18 November 2018 and featured 32 paintings. Dalian Modern Museum

The exhibition was jointly organised by the Dalian Modern Museum and the Benaki Museum in Athens, extending the international journey of a body of work already deeply associated with cultural exchange between East and West. Dalian Modern Museum

For Jamal, bringing the Silk Road paintings to China had special meaning. The historic Silk Road represents one of the great cultural bridges between civilisations, and presenting the collection in China brought the work back to one of the origins of that story. Dalian Modern Museum

Across the 32 works, Jamal explored the beauty, difficulty and symbolism of the ancient route through people, rugged landscapes, dangerous roads and horses carrying precious goods. The museum described these scenes as expressions of hope and human perseverance, suggesting that even the most difficult journeys can be overcome. Dalian Modern Museum

The exhibition also reflected Jamal’s long fascination with Chinese culture and artistic traditions. His paintings reinterpret China through a contemporary visual language, combining vivid colour, movement and recurring motifs such as the Arabian horse. The museum highlighted palettes of blue, purple, red and desert yellow, creating an imagined universe shaped by travel, cultural encounters and history. Dalian Modern Museum

“Silk Road Flowers” became an important milestone in Jamal’s international career, strengthening the artistic connection between Athens, the Arab world and China, while reinforcing one of the central themes of his work: art as a bridge between cultures.

Source: Dalian Modern Museum, 17 October 2018.