In July 2026, organized by the International Art Education and Exchange Center of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), a group of CAFA students traveled to Finland to participate in the 2026 Aalto University Summer School at Aalto University.Focusing on emerging fields including virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), immersive media, and design innovation, the Summer School offered courses on topics such as “Immersive Media & AI,” “Augmented Reality & AI Vision,” and “Human-Centered Design & Prototyping.”

On September 8, Carla Cugini, Chairwoman of the Ludwig Foundation, and Andreas Schmid, curator and artist, accompanied by Chen Ping, former Minister-Counselor for Cultural Affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Germany, visited the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). The delegation held discussions on China-Germany art exchange, international art collections, and future cooperation. Yu Yang, Vice President of CAFA; Wang Chuan, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange; Jin Jun, Director of the CAFA Art Museum; and Kong Liang, Head of the Department of Printmaking, among others, attended the meeting.

Recently, the solo exhibition of Wang Chuan, a professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), titled Paradox of Appearance (Chinese: 非常之常), opened at the One Art Museum in Beijing. The exhibition is divided into four thematic sections: “Image Beyond Appearance,” “Image as Non‑Appearance,” “Image as Pixel,” and “Infinite Image.” Set against the backdrop of ordinary scenes and cultural imprints, the show concentrates on Wang Chuan’s creative practice—observing daily life through the lens and questioning reality through conceptual approaches.

Recently, the final judging for the “Culture Mirror” International Design Competition, initiated by École Intuit Lab, a leading institution for visual design education in Paris, was completed. Faculty and students from the School of Experimental Art and Technology at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) participated in the project, joining young creators from France, Russia, India, Brazil, and other countries in exploring classic films and cross-cultural visual communication through creative practice.

On July 21, the exhibitions “Growth: An Exhibition of Works by Li Jiangfeng” and “Stillness: An Exhibition of Works by Ma Jiawei”, jointly organized by the Oil Painting Art Committee of the China Artists Association, the China Oil Painting Society, and the Ningbo Museum of Art, with academic support from the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) and Beijing Fine Art Academy, opened concurrently at the Ningbo Museum of Art.

From July 5 to 18, 2026, the 2026 UAE Youth China Art Summer Program was held in Beijing, jointly organized by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in China and the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), and hosted by the CAFA Center for International Art Education and Exchange.

The Subway Train Themed on 2026 CAFA Graduation Season

BANGKOK, June 11 — Jiang Haoran, a class of 2024 graduate student from the CAFA School of Architecture (supervised by Professor Han Wenqiang), represented China as the national champion in the Interior Design category at the 2025/2026 AYDA Awards (Asia Young Designer Awards) Grand Finals held in Bangkok, Thailand. Competing against top talents from 17 countries and regions—including Japan, Singapore, Turkey, and Malaysia—Jiang stood out to claim the highest honor in the Interior Design category: the Designer of the Year award.

June 10, 2026 — Professor Yu Yang, Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), met with a delegation from the Museum am Rothenbaum – Kulturen und Künste der Welt (MARKK) in Hamburg, Germany. The visiting delegation included Dr. Barbara Plankensteiner, Director of MARKK, and Ricarda Brosch, Curator of the East and South Asian Collections. Using Mr. Cai Yuanpei’s vigorous promotion of Sino-German cultural exchanges as a significant historical bond, the two sides explored the potential for long-term collaboration in fields such as archival research on Cai Yuanpei, exhibition partnerships, and multidisciplinary academic exchanges. Connecting Through History and Academic Traditions.

Beijing, June 11, 2026 – A delegation comprising Dr. Alexander Klar, Director of the Hamburger Kunsthalle; Kathryn Thomson, Chief Executive of National Museums Northern Ireland; and Lionel Arsac, Lead Heritage Curator of the Palace of Versailles, visited the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) on June 11, 2026.

On May 20, Radiant Dialogues: Invitational Exhibition for Artistic Exchange Between Spain and the Central Academy of Fine Arts of China opened at the Church of San Marcos (Toledo San Marcos Cultural Center) in Toledo, Spain. Serving as a bridge through art, the exhibition brings together works by outstanding artists from Spain and the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), creating an international platform for artistic dialogue and cultural exchange between China and Spain, while further promoting mutual learning between the two civilizations. The opening ceremony was attended by Lin Mao, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Yao Jing, Chinese Ambassador to Spain; Mar Torrecilla, Deputy Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of Castilla–La Mancha; and Carlos Velázquez, Mayor of Toledo, among others.

On May 25, 2026, a delegation from the New York Film Academy, led by Joy Zhu, Executive Vice President for Global Partnerships, visited Central Academy of Fine Arts. Lin Mao, President of Central Academy of Fine Arts, met with the guests, and the two sides held in-depth discussions on topics including the development of film and media arts programs, talent cultivation for the animation and gaming industries, and the application of AI in arts education.

Recently, at the invitation of the School of Innovation and Technology at the Glasgow School of Art, Professor Haipeng Tian, Secretary of the Party Branch and Director of the Loc-globalisation Design Research Studio at the City Design School, Central Academy of Fine Arts, led a delegation comprising Yuan Yang and Dr. Lijun Chen, lecturers from the Loc-globalisation Design Research Studio, along with three postgraduate students, to participate in the 11th Winter School international workshop at the Glasgow School of Art. This academic exchange brought together teachers, students and scholars from nine leading design institutions across seven countries. It facilitated an intensive and in-depth international dialogue centred on interdisciplinary research, site surveys and collaborative creation, whilst also building new bridges for exchange and cooperation between the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the world’s leading design institutions.

From May 4 to 6, a delegation led by Xu Yang, Party Secretary of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, visited KEDGE Business School, traveling to its Paris and Bordeaux campuses and meeting with Alexandre de Navailles, Dean of KEDGE Business School. The two sides held a series of working meetings on the future development of the CAFA–KEDGE Institute of Arts and Design Management (hereinafter referred to as the “CAFA–KEDGE Institute”), engaging in in-depth discussions on key topics including research collaboration, academic exchange, and student support and development. Both sides reached broad consensus on further deepening cooperation, improving coordination mechanisms, and promoting the high-quality development of the institute.

Coming soon across the Huajiadi campus in Beijing 2026 CAFA Graduation Season starts with Graduate Exhibition at CAFAM

On April 24, 2026, Yu Yang, Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), met with a visiting delegation from Assumption University of Thailand. The two sides engaged in in-depth discussions on China–Thailand cooperation in art education and future development, reaching broad consensus on a range of areas including disciplinary development, teaching collaboration, academic research, cultural exchange, faculty and student mobility, and student exchange programs.

On April 16, 2026, H.E. Bruno Angelet, Ambassador of Belgium to China, and El-Asmar Nedda, President of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, led a delegation to visit the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). Lin Mao, President of CAFA, met with the guests. The two sides held in-depth discussions on China–Belgium cooperation in art education and future development, exchanging views on teaching innovation, academic research, artistic creation, cultural exchange, and student mobility.

On April 1, 2026, the 108th anniversary of the founding of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the opening and donation ceremony of "No Smooth Path to the Summit—The Exhibition of Works by Li Xingjian" was held at the Academic Lecture Hall of the CAFA Art Museum. Selected as part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's "2025 National Art Works Collection and Donation Reward Program," this project was also the largest private donation that the Central Academy of Fine Arts has received over the past decade.

Integrating multiple media with environmental elements, "Echoes of a Voyage" is a featured program by Lyu Zhi-Qiang, a driver and owner of an old Jetta car, DJ and sound collector, as well as a teacher who imparts "principles" at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Lyu presented a concert themed on "Eerawai" at CAFA Art Museum on March 18, through which he invited visitors to immerse themselves in a sensory journey woven from light, shadow and sound. 

Guided by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, hosted by the China Artists Association, and co-organized by the Art Center of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, with support from the Fashion Design Art Committee of the China Artists Association, the Art Museum of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and the China Fashion Designers Association, the China Artists Association "Youth Art Talent Program -Fashion 100" has unveiled its core achievements at CAFA Art Museum. This was the first time that the China Artists Association has incorporated fashion design into its key talent cultivation system. The project consistently adheres to the principles of "with academics first mindset, there should be independent thinking, and innovation leading development." It intends to discover and cultivate a group of leading Chinese fashion designers who possess aesthetic confidence, cultural soft power, and academic recognition.