Artworks made in China to be shown in Mexico

Artworks created in China by eight Mexican artists will go on display Saturday in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca, Mexican National Institute of Fine Arts announced Thursday.

Titled "Nao Now, Mexico-Beijing 2014," in which "Nao" refers to the Spanish sailing vessel Manila Galleon that explored the ancient trade routes between Mexico and the Far East from the 16th to 19th century, the exhibition features artworks with various subjects ranging from landscapes to comic heroes.

"Nao Now in Chinese sounds like 'brain-brain' and refers to the intellectual and cultural exchanges between the two countries," the project's website explains, adding that the endeavor "seeks to reinterpret the meaning of the trade route, transforming it into a route of cultural exchanges that can open new links between China and Mexico."

Curator Pablo J. Rico said on the website that the project was born to "restore and reinvent the cultural and artistic connections between two great contemporary historical realities in the Pacific region -- Mexico and China."

In 2014, eight Mexican artists became resident artists in Beijing, where they learned Chinese-developed graphic art techniques from their local counterparts.

The exhibit made its debut in the Mexico City National Print Museum at the end of last year, and will run through June 10 in Oaxaca. Endi