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Call for Submission:The 5th Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale, Shenzhen
Call for Submission:The 5th Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale, Shenzhen
Guided by China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the development strategy of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the 5th Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale, Shenzhen is scheduled to be held in 2026, which is the inaugural year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and also coincides with APEC China 2026. With a commitment to advancing the development of Shenzhen into a culturally strong city at a higher level, this biennale aims to build a world-class cultural brand for this modern international metropolis with global influence.
Rooted in the Greater Bay Area’s innovative gene of “Technology + Culture” and the humanistic heritage of Lingnan culture, this biennale takes “Diversity and Integration” as its theme, and is committed to building an artistic platform that embodies Chinese characteristics and resonates across the Asia-Pacific region. Through the soft power of art, it will deepen exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, showcase the spirit and magnanimity of Chinese modernization to the world, and contribute a distinctive “Shenzhen Narrative” to the global dissemination of Chinese culture.
The exhibition will gather outstanding oil paintings from across the globe, energize local art ecology, connect regional resources, and serve as a firm practice of deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations through art.
The details of the call for entries are as follows:
I. Organizers
Hosted by
• China Artists Association
• Shenzhen Federation of Literary and Art Circles
Organized by
• Fine Arts Center of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles
• Dafen Art Museum, Longgang District, Shenzhen
Co-organized by
• Shenzhen Artists Association
• Longgang District Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Shenzhen
II. Exhibition Organizing Committee
Honorary Director: Fan Di’an
Director: Qu Jian, Liu Wenbin
Vice Director: Wang Ping, Zhu Hongzi, Liang Yu, Jin Xiu
Secretary-General: Jin Xiu (concurrently)
Deputy Secretary-General: Jiang Guanyu
Committee Members (sorted by stroke order of surnames):
Wang Feifei, Chen Xiangbing, Chen Xiangbo, Lu Shengshe, Yang Xiaoyang, Hao Qiang, He Xuanxuan, Gao Sinuo, Guo Qiyao, Huang Chaoruo, Qi Jie
Office Director: Lv Yanfeng, Zhang Ke
Deputy Office Director: Wang Wei
Exhibition Editors: Wang Xuemin, Lu Weixuan
III. Jury and Supervisory Committee
The Jury shall be composed of a few experts selected by the China Artists Association from its panel of judges, who will be responsible for preliminary and final reviews. The Supervisory Committee shall supervise the entire selection process.
IV. Exhibition Dates
October to December 2026 (Tentative)
V. Venue
Dafen Art Museum, Longgang District, Shenzhen
VI. Scale
Approximately 210 oil paintings be on display (subject to the final selection results)
VII. Collection Method
An open call for entries is launched globally.
VIII. Eligibility & Requirements
The 5th Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale,Shenzhen is accepting submissions globally, while also inviting outstanding works by distinguished artists from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to participate. All open submissions will undergo preliminary and final reviews by the Selection Jury. All works from outside the Chinese mainland (including those from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region of China) will be publicly exhibited after receiving foreign affairs approval. Specific requirements are as follows:
(1) Theme: “Diversity and Integration”
Theme Interpretation:
As the core theme of the Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale, “Diversity and Integration” reflects a profound insight and positive response to the trends of artistic development in the context of globalization. It carries rich connotations in two dimensions: a tribute to the inherent vitality of artistic creation itself, and an aspiration for the harmonious coexistence of human civilizations.
Art transcends borders, races and cultures, conveying shared human emotions and values. Through artistic exchange and integration, we seek common ground amid differences and resonate through diversity, jointly depicting a spiritual vision of “harmony in diversity, beauty in shared enjoyment”. Here, we appreciate the richness of artistic forms, experience the convergence of diverse cultural perspectives, witness the brilliance of individual creativity, and recognize the cohesive power of art as a universal language. We believe that in such a space of pluralistic coexistence and in-depth integration, art shines with its most dazzling radiance of the times, contributing unique spiritual value to building a more inclusive and harmonious world with mutual understanding .
(2) Dimensions
• Artwork size: Unframed canvas not exceeding 200 cm (H) × 200 cm (W)
• Crated size: Each side less than 240 cm
• Weight after packing: No more than 100 kg
The solicitation of exhibits for this biennale prioritizes artistic quality and creation level; the pursuit of excessively large dimensions is not encouraged.
(3) Submission Rules
• All copyrights belong to the artist.
• Each artist may submit only one work.
• All submitted works must be original creations by the creators. The submission of imitated, ghostwritten, plagiarized or reproduced works is strictly prohibited. Any legal disputes or liabilities arising therefrom shall be borne solely by the creator. The violating creators and their acts will be publicly announced on the official website of the China Artists Association, and their exhibition entry qualifications will be revoked.
• The China Artists Association has implemented an anti-duplication system. Duplicated works from previous exhibitions will be disqualified.
• If a selected work is found to contain political or historical errors, violate public morality, or hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, the organizer reserves the right to immediately revoke all of its relevant qualifications for this exhibition at any time, including the qualifications for selection, exhibition, publication and participation in related events.
• The organizer reserves the right of final interpretation of all relevant matters.
IX. Selection of International Works
Overseas contributors (including those from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region of China) are required to submit applications through the online submission system of the Dafen Biennale (http://dfbiennale.artron.net/index.php/articles_models/index/220). The application period is from 00:00 on March 9, 2026, to 24:00 on May 4, 2026. The preliminary and final selections of overseas works will be conducted offline based on photographs of the works. Following the approval of foreign affairs formalities, the results will be announced on the official website of the China Artists Association and the official website of the Dafen Biennale.
X. Packaging, Transportation & Insurance
（1）The Organizer shall be responsible for the round-trip transportation of selected overseas works (from country/region to Shenzhen) and return transportation for domestic selected works.
（2）Artists are responsible for insurance during transportation. Uninsured works will not be accepted by the organizer. Insurance during exhibition will be covered by the organizer.
（3）The Organizer shall promptly notify overseas artists of the designated shipping agent for transportation via official website announcements and emails. The designated shipping agent shall arrange its staff to contact the overseas artists in a timely manner. Overseas artists shall properly package their selected works in fumigated crates and hand them over to the shipping agent designated by the Organizer in accordance with requirements, and clearly mark the exhibition entry number notified by the Organizer on the outside of the crates. To ensure smooth customs clearance for the works upon entry into China, if log wood is used as packaging material for selected overseas works (including all materials used for packaging the works, such as crates, bed timbers, wedges, etc.), the log wood materials must be fumigated, and the IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) mark of the artist’s home country must be affixed to at least two sides of the materials. The artists shall bear all packaging costs, and the shipping agent shall be responsible for door-to-door pick-up of the works.
（4）Once a work is selected, the artist shall frame it on their own. Both the inner and outer frames must be firm and sturdy, with no exposed nails or sharp objects on them. If a decorative frame is used, glass mirror surfaces are prohibited; acrylic sheets or transparent plastic films may be used instead. The Organizer reserves the right to refuse the display of any original works that are inconsistent with the Work Information Form, exceed the specified size and weight limits, emit harmful gases, cannot be transported, cannot be installed for exhibition, or are deemed hazardous to the audience. For all selected works that are damaged during transportation due to improper packaging by the artist, or suffer breakage, falling off, deformation or other damage due to unstable or insecure framing/packaging, or are damaged during self-arranged transportation by the artist, the Organizer shall promptly notify the artist but shall assume no liability whatsoever for such damage.
（5）The Organizer will be responsible for the return of all selected works (excluding those confirmed as collected or donated works). For selected overseas works (including those from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region of China) that are delivered to the Organizer without the designated shipping agent, the Organizer shall not be responsible for their return. If the artist indeed requires the Organizer to arrange the return, the artist shall negotiate with the Organizer in advance.
XI. Related Arrangements
(1) Donation
The Organizer accepts voluntary and free donations of works from artists. Those who wish to donate their selected works shall mark the donation intention in the designated column of the Work Registration Form. Donated works must be the original copies of the selected exhibits and will be permanently collected by the Dafen Art Museum.
(2) Collection
The collection of exhibits for this exhibition follows the principle of voluntariness. The collection fee for the works shall be determined through negotiation between the collecting institution and the artist of the work to be collected. The collecting institution shall issue an official collection certificate to the artist.
(3) Benefits for Artists
1. Selected artists receive an official selection certificate.
2. The official catalogue of the 5th Shenzhen Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale will be formally published, and one complimentary copy will be provided to each participating artist.
XII. Rights of the Organizer to the Selected Works
The Organizer reserves the rights to exhibit, research, photograph, video record, publish and promote all selected works. The Organizer is entitled to take free photographs of the selected works and use such photographs publicly without any compensation. It may also use the artists' personal information filled in the Work Information Registration Form for domestic and international publicity of the exhibition, the public publication of exhibition catalogue, the development of souvenirs for the Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale and other image reproduction purposes, and may publish the works on relevant media and online platforms for a long time.
XIII. Acceptance of Terms
All applicants are deemed to have read, understood and agreed to the terms of this Call for Entries and the Code of Professional Ethics for Chinese Artists. Final interpretation rights belong to the Organizing Committee.
XIV. Contact Information
Address: Dafen Art Museum, Buji Subdistrict, Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P.R.China
Postal Code: 518112
Tel: +86-755-84732622 (Beijing Time: 9:00–12:00, 14:00–18:00, workdays only)
Fax: +86-755-84732622
Official Website: http://dfbiennale.artron.net/
Email:
• Domestic (including the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and the Taiwan region of China): china2df@163.com
• International: dfbiennale@hotmail.com
The Organizing Committee of Dafen International Oil Painting Biennale,Shenzhen
March 2026