Business schools and art exhibitions might not seem like the most natural of fits, yet the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) is making a good show of integrating the two.

At the ongoing 2012 Meeting in Shanghai art exhibition, artists from home and abroad are showcasing their works at CEIBS. And the inspiration behind the exhibition was discussed at an art forum that took place on July 15 at CEIBS.

In the opening speech given by Pedro Nueno, executive president of CEIBS, he said that he thought creativity was a very important quality in solving business problems.

European artists

The Spanish artist Maria Eugenia Sancho, the Italian artist Gino Loperfido, the Chinese painting and calligraphy connoisseur Lu Li, and the Chinese sculptor Wu Weishan all took part in the dialogue.

Sancho's works have been collected by many museums and cultural organizations throughout Europe and America. She received a bachlor's degree in fine arts from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1971.

Sancho introduced her painting style, which she said has developed from realistic figurative portraits to "magic realism," highlighting bright colors and 3-D effects. She also makes sculptures in materials like bronze, stone and glass. Many of her works are centered around the theme of forests.

Loperfido is a painter, sculptor and designer who has donated some of his works to Pope Benedict XVI. "I create by means of emotion, which comes from my soul. And I blend myself into the white canvas totally," he said at the forum.

The artist said he was also inspired by Chinese architecture, for example, the pure white walls seen in many traditional buildings. In many of Loperfido's works, a hidden human face can be discerned. One of the artists works, entitled Goodbye, Hello, Shanghai, is especially dedicated to the city.

Chinese art

As a member of the National Committee of Cultural Relics, Lu Li has been engaged in painting and calligraphy appraisal for some 24 years. An expert on the paintings of Fu Baoshi (1904-1965), Lu told the audience the price per square foot of Fu's huge paintings has climbed to an average 2.92 million yuan ($458,133) in 2012.

Lu spoke about the artistic value of Fu's paintings, which he said was also influenced by traditional Japanese art.

Wu Weishan's speech entitled My View of Culture in the Sculptural Arts gave listeners a quick insight into his 400-or-so works and he attempted to explain traditional Chinese culture by reference to four of his sculptures - Sleeping Child to illustrate universal feelings, Laozi to indicate the philosophy of tolerance, Confucius to represent the culture of harmony, and Sculpture for the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre to appeal for peace.

Universal creativity

"We believe that managers should be creative in exactly the same way that artists are," said John Quelch, professor of international management, vice president and dean of CEIBS, said at the art forum.

"People in business have a lot of interest in how auctions operate, and how prices are set in the art market. And as China's art market is growing so rapidly, it's necessary for business school professors and students to think about how the art market works," he said.

While imparting economic and managerial expertise to students, CEIBS also attaches great importance to the humanities. The school hopes to cultivate insights into culture and the arts in would-be entrepreneurs and managers.

The exhibition features more than 80 contemporary artworks in various genres - paintings, sculptures, photography, mosaics, pottery and installations among them. And they have been created by some 30 artists from across the world.

Date: Until September 15, 9 am to 5 pm

Venue: A3 Student Center, China Europe International Business School

中欧国际工商学院A3学生中心

Address: 699 Hongfeng Road 红枫路699号

Admission: Free

Call 2890-5675 for details