Tibetan Artist reimagines traditional cloth painting with modern vision

On the vast plateau of Xizang, artist Sonam Pema dips her brush into vivid pigments, bringing to life a centuries old tradition with contemporary flair.

Her cloth-based heavy color paintings, a Tibetan art form featuring rich textures on fabric, have become a powerful medium for cultural storytelling. The protagonists of her paintings are often women from the plateau.

"Like the Galsang flowers of the snowy plateau, Tibetan women possess a tenacious vitality and embody the purest, kindest hearts. Through my artwork, I aim to express their love for life and help more people understand the women of the plateau," Sonam Pema said as she was working on her latest piece.

Art originates from life. The painter has frequently traveled to rural communities, sitting with local women to understand their daily lives.

"When I go to the countryside for inspiration, I try to understand their preferences, habits, and life experiences. I see their attitudes toward life through their experiences. My works must first touch me before I can strive to touch other people," she said.

Her artistic journey began under the guidance of her father Tsering Dorje, one of Tibet's first generation oil painters and a nationally celebrated artist.

"She strives to integrate Tibetan culture with foreign cultures. As a native female Tibetan artist, she has achieved considerable success. I believe she can forge a new path in combining modern and traditional paintings," said her father.

And that's exactly what she has been doing, experimenting with different styles and techniques to discover the perfect modern and traditional paintings.

"In this piece, I used traditional Chinese painting techniques for the face, hands, and body. However, since Chinese painting techniques couldn't fully capture the heaviness of the clothing in the Ngari region, I have employed oil painting techniques for the Tibetan robes to emphasize their three-dimensional texture," she said.

More than technical mastery, it is the emotional truth in her work that resonates. When depicting Tibetan women dancing, Sonam Pema captures not just their movements but the radiant pride in their expressions.

"When I saw these women dressed in traditional attire performing folk dances, and their faces were radiant with joy, I could feel their deep love for their land and their lives. It touched me deeply, and I wanted to capture that moment with my brush. I hope to touch more people and help them better understand Xizang through my paintings," she said.

Now mentoring her son in these artistic traditions, Sonam Pema looks to the future, watching the next generation reinterpret their heritage. Through exhibitions and teaching, she ensures that this ancient art form continues evolving,and its vibrant colors carry Tibetan stories to new audiences across time and space.

Tibetan Artist reimagines traditional cloth painting with modern vision

A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.

Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.

In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.

"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.

Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.

In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.

"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.

By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.

After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.

"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.

Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.

As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.

Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media