The assessment of candidates for Focus on Talents Award 2013 has come to conclusion in April 2013. The ten nominated artists for the final are, in alphabetic order of their family names, Chen Chenchen, Chu Bingchao, Gao Shengjie, Gao Su, He Shiyi, Lei Lei, Lu Yanxiang, Xu Sheng,TONG Xiao and Zhang Xiaodi.

Focus on Talents is a public-serving art program dedicated to young artists. It was jointly launched by Today Art Museum and Martell Art Foundation in 2010. The past two editions of the program won enthusiastic responses from the public. The committee for the assessment of candidates tis year has received over 500 applications and recommendations for young artists ever since the work began. The new trend in comparison to the earlier editions is that more Chinese young artists from comprehensive universities as well as overseas Chinese students from the United Kingdom, France and the United States were attracted to the program and sent in their applications. Their works cover a wide range of genres from oil painting, printmaking, scupture, ink and wash, to video, installation and mural. The variety in content and forms demonstrates the rich imaginative power and experimental spirit of today's young artists.

The board of judges of Focus on Talents Award 2013 is composed with senior experts that are very active in contemporary art circle. The judges are, in alphabetic order of their family names:

Jiang Jiehong, Curator, Mentor of Master's Students,

Karen Smith, Curator,

Mark Nash, Curator, former director of Curating Contemporary Art at the Royal College of Art, U.K.,

Tan Ping, Deputy Director of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Artist, and

Wu Hongliang, Director of Beijing Fine Art Academy, Artist.

Ms. Su Chen Hsieh, Director of Today Art Museum is not working as a judge this year, but involved herself as nominating member of the committee. She expressed her high expectation to the young artists: "I hope these young artists persist in going their own ways and realize their ideals and values."

The Award Ceremony and Opening of the Focus on Talents 2013 Finalists Exhibition will take place on 18 May 2013 at Beijing Today Art Museum. Mr. Dong Bingfeng is curator of the Exhibition. Dong has many years' experience in curating and commits all his efforts in cultivating and promoting young artists with his unique perspective and judgement. The judges will be present at the Exhibition to review the works and reach a final decision for the winner of the Award from among the nominated artists. Who will win the laurel of Focus on Talents 2013 Most Outstanding Talent? Let us expect the event and experience the moment together!