VINNYTSIA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The international plein air art festival "The Best Artist" came to an end in central Ukraine on Thursday, after 10 days full of creativity and art exchanges.
During the festival, hosted by the Ukrainian Culture Ministry in the historic city of Vinnytsia, 18 artists from seven countries created about 90 artworks depicting local landscapes and architecture.
Valeriy Shmatko, the contemporary colorist painter from Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv, won the festival's "Best Ukrainian Artist" award.
Meanwhile, Zhanibek Suyunbekov, a young participant from Kyrgyzstan, clinched "The Best Artist" title.
Suyunbekov, who participated in many art contests in his home country and abroad, said the victory is a "great honour" for him.
"For me, this is a step forward and a great incentive to further develop my skills," Suyunbekov told Xinhua.
Qi Shaoting, an artist representing China, was awarded a special prize of the festival -- a precious jewelry decoration, for the unique style of her works.
While speaking with Xinhua, Qi said her goal of popularizing Chinese culture among foreigners has been achieved at the festival.
"This is a cultural exchange. We learned a lot from each other. For example, I introduced the Chinese Guohua to the participants of the festival -- I held a master class for them so that they could try to paint in this style," Qi said.
Qi's works not only impressed the festival's jury, but also touched the hearts of the special guests from Georgia. The Chinese artist was invited to participate in the international festival of artists, icon painters and photographers in the Caucasus country.
Volodymyr Koziuk, a Ukrainian artist, who has organized "The Best Artist" festival, said he is pleased that the event has become a bridge to connect people from different cultures.
"If people cooperate in the cultural field, they are becoming friends. Thanks to culture, the world can change. This is a great beginning for changing the structure of our world," Koziuk told Xinhua.
