The Confucius Classroom at No.18 Secondary School under the Confucius Institute in Sofia held a Chinese painting workshop titled “Masterful Brush: Painting Horses, Welcoming Blessings”

On March 6, the Confucius Classroom at Secondary School No. 18 under the Confucius Institute in Sofia held a Chinese painting workshop titled “Masterful Brushstrokes: Welcoming Blessings.” Nearly 90 students from grades 8, 9, and 10 participated in the event together with the Confucius Classroom’s Chinese language teachers.

The workshop began with an introduction to the word “ma shang” (lit. on horseback, immediately). The teacher then presented the traditional Chinese painting technique of line drawing and demonstrated how to use a brush and ink to outline forms. By varying the thickness, curvature, and direction of lines, as well as the dry and wet, light and dark tones of ink, the teacher showed how to capture both the shape and spirit of an object. Inspired by the demonstration, students eagerly tried the technique themselves, and lively little horses soon appeared on their paper.

The teacher then introduced traditional Chinese painting techniques such as layered coloring and blending, demonstrating how water can be used to control the intensity and gradation of color. Students applied these techniques to add color to their horses, creating vibrant and distinctive Chinese painting works.

Outstanding works from the workshop will be exhibited at the school and turned into cultural and creative products such as bookmarks and hanging ornaments. Twelve selected pieces will also be used to produce the Confucius Classroom’s 2026 Year of the Horse desk calendar, bringing traditional Chinese painting into the daily campus life of teachers and students.

Using traditional Chinese painting as its medium, the workshop integrated knowledge sharing, hands-on practice, artwork exhibition, and creative cultural applications, allowing students to experience the charm and enjoyment of traditional Chinese art through ink painting.

Confucius Institute in Sofia

Text and photos: Zhang Kaiyue

Editors: Chen Ying, Aksiniya Koleva, Ding Chen

English translation: Dima Pironkova