厄立特里亚小伙的中国求学之路

庄梦园 龙超

白很力（Berhanetsegyohannes） 2016年经厄立特里亚孔子学院介绍来到贵州留学，就读于贵州师范大学的美术学专业，获得本科学位，目前是该校一名研究生二年级学生。来华之前，他已是厄立特里亚小有名气的画家，他放弃在本国的荣誉来到中国重新开始，这一选择令人敬佩。他是中厄文化的友好使者。

笔者是来自贵州财经大学文学院的一名研究生，有幸采访到白很力，比较深入地了解了他来华的求学之路。

Q1 记者：你是通过什么契机来贵州留学深造的？

白很力：我第一次来中国是在2015年，参加北京国际双年展时被博大精深的中国艺术吸引。通过厄立特里亚孔院的推荐，我在2016年再次来到中国，在贵州师范大学开启了我的艺术学习之路。我在贵阳生活了七年多，貴阳已成为我的“第二故乡”。而且我有一对“中国父母”，我和他们感情很好，觉得很亲，还在他们家里度过了春节，我很喜欢一家子团聚时其乐融融的氛围。

Q2 记者：你对贵州的第一印象是怎样的？

白很力：我认为贵州气候宜人、冬暖夏凉，比北京、上海的温度更令人惬意。我喜欢贵阳的雨，喜欢在雨中浸步，喜欢在雨天创作，喜欢自然的美，想要描绘大自然创造的一切事物。从饮食来说，贵州和厄立特里亚莱的口味部是偏辣的，很容易适应，吃起来也很亲切。尤其是“丝娃娃”等贵州名小吃，把所有不同的菜品包在一起，体现了中国的“中庸和谐”之道。从环境来说，贵州有美丽的山山水水，能带给我很多创作的灵感。我几乎去过贵州所有的名胜古迹，比如千户苗寨、黄果树瀑布、甲秀楼等。我认为每一个景点部是独一无二的存在，每个地方都有其独具一格的美，就像艺术作品一样，每一幅作品的背后都有一段故事。

Q3 记者：你喜欢和中国人交朋友吗？在交朋友的过程中，除了语言障碍，还有其他障碍吗？

白很力：我非常喜欢和中国人做朋友，且身边基本上都是贵州本地朋友。因为交朋友可以互相学习，正是他们让我拥有了开朗的性格和熟练的汉语口语表达能力。同时，他们也是我生活中的老师，教会我如何购物、点单，让我的生活变得更加方便。当然，我也可以教朋友们英语口语，大家共同进步。我觉得和中国朋友在一起相处，几乎没有困难和障碍，他们对我十分友善。

Q4 记者：从网上获悉，你在中国还举办过个人画展，而且办得很成功，能和我们分享一下当时的感受吗？

白很力：读本科就开个人画展是令我非常自豪的事情。2021年5月，我在贵州师范大学举办了个人画展，共展出39件作品，以人物肖像为主。当时现场热闹非凡，很多人来看画展。当听到赞叹声不断时，我的内心是无以言表的激动。我不仅仅在贵州师范大学举办过个人画展，我的作品还被送到贵州遵义进行巡展。每当有人询问作品背后的故事时，我都会很开心地和他们分享。而且我目前研究的方向是文字与自然的关系，我的梦想就是把本国和中国的文字元素融入绘画。目前，我已经有一幅作品被中国美术馆收藏，这幅作品融入了厄立特里亚的元素，画中的项链形似厄立特里亚的独特符号“U”，意为“开始、起始”，表示妈妈是第一个给予他生命的人，也是第一个教他的人。项链所代表的另外一个含义为perfect，也就是“完美”的意思，其实也是要表达对母爱的赞美。我希望通过创作艺术作品促进两国之间的文化交流。

Q5 记者：“三下乡”是中国独具特色的志愿者活动，作为国际学生参加“三下乡”活动，你的感受是什么？

白很力：我在2021年暑假期间参加了“三下乡”志愿者活动，免费指导小学生绘画。此次活动给我最大的感悟就是“教学相长”。通过分析小朋友的画，我自己也收获了不同的绘画角度，以及不同的创作灵感。因为小朋友看世界的角度与成年人是不同的，可能更容易抓住每个事物的主要特征，进行无限的放大。所以说，此次活动也是互相学习的过程。

Q6 记者：来贵州已经七年了，贵州留学给你带来的最大收获是什么？

白很力：贵州留学给我带来了很多收获。我学习到了很多中国文化方面的知识，在绘画过程中融合了更多的中国文化元素。同时，我也在中国结识了很多志同道台的同学以及艺术家朋友，可以经常交流创作体会。他们在我心目中是家人一般的存在。如果有机会的话，我想要在中国继续攻读博士学位。

结语

白很力作为一位厄立特里亚画家来到中国求学，通过学习和生活，他具备了多元的文化思维，更包容和尊重不同种族和国家的文化。他创作的绘画作品对加强中外文化交流、推动中国文化走向世界起到了积极的作用。

STUDYING IN CHINA： THE ERITREAN BOY’S EXPERIENCE

Bai Henli （Berhanetsegyohannes） came toGuizhou in 2016 with the help of the Confucius Institutein Eritrea to study at the Arts Institute at GuizhouNormal University. After obtaining his bachelor’sdegree， he continued on with his postgraduate studyat the same school， now two years into the program.Before coming to China， he was already an establishedpainter back in his home country. To leave all that behindand start anew in a foreign country is impressiveenough. He is truly the friendship ambassador betweenthe two cultures.

The author， a postgraduate student from the Facultyof Arts， Guizhou University of Finance and Economics（GUFE）， has the honor to interview Bai Henli for adeep dive into his educational experience in China.

Reporter： Under which circumstance did you come to Guizhou？

Bai Henli：I first came to China in the year of 2015for the Beijing International Art Biennale. I was socharmed by the depth and diversity of Chinese arts. Byway of recommendation from the Confucius Institutein Eritrea， I came here again the next year and thistime I came to Guizhou Normal University to beginmy arts education. I have been living in Guiyang forover seven years now and it has become my secondhome. I have two Chinese “parents” with whom I havebuilt a solid and intimate relationship. I even spent theChinese New Year over at their place and reallyenjoyed the festive mood of family reunions.

Reporter： What was your firstimpression of Guizhou？

Bai Henli：I think Guizhou has a pleasant climate， withmild winters and cool summers， which is more enjoyablethan the temperatures in Beijing or Shanghai. Ilike the rain in Guiyang， strolling in the rain， creatingarts in rainy weather， and appreciating the beauty ofnature. I want to depict everything created by nature.In terms of food， both Guizhou and Eritrean cuisineshave a spicy taste， which is easy to adapt to and feelswelcoming. Especially there are dishes like “Siwawa”，a famous Guizhou snack， which wraps various ingredientstogether， embodying the Chinese concept of“moderation and harmony”. In terms of the environment，Guizhou has beautiful mountains and rivers，which provide me with a lot of inspiration for creation.I have visited almost all the famous scenic spots inGuizhou， such as Qianhu Miao Village， HuangguoshuWaterfall， and Jiaxiu Tower. I believe that each attractionis a unique existence， and every place has its owndistinctive beauty， just like artworks， each with its ownstory behind it.

Reporter： Do you like making friends with Chinese people？Besides language barriers， are there any other obstacles in making friends？

Bai Henli：I really enjoy making friends with Chinesepeople， and most of my friends are locals fromGuizhou. Making friends allows us to learn from eachother， and it is through them that I have developed anoutgoing personality and uent spoken Chinese. At thesame time， they are also my teachers in life， teachingme how to shop， order food， and making my life moreconvenient. Of course， I also teach my friends English，and we can progress together. I find that there arehardly any difficulties or obstacles in getting alongwith Chinese friends; they are very friendly to me.

Reporter： I learned from the Internet that you have held a personal art exhibition in China， and it was very successful. Could you share your feelings at that time？

Bai Henli：I am very proud to have held a personal art exhibitionwhile still an undergraduate student. In May 2021， I held a personalart exhibition at Guizhou Normal University， featuring 39 worksmainly focusing on portraits. The exhibition was lively， with manypeople coming to see it. I was incredibly excited and speechlesswhen I heard the continuous praises. Apart from this， my artworkshave also been exhibited in Zunyi， Guizhou. Whenever someoneasked about the stories behind my works， I was happy to sharethem. Currently， I am studying the relationship between text andnature， and my dream is to incorporate elements of both Eritreanand Chinese characters into my paintings. One of my works hasalready been collected by the National Art Museum of China（NAMOC）. This particular piece incorporates Eritrean elements，with a necklace-shaped symbol resembling the unique Eritreansymbol “U”， meaning “beginning” or “start”， representing that amother is the first person who gives life and teaches. The necklacealso symbolizes “perfect”， expressing praise for maternal love.through creating artworks， I hope to promote cultural exchangesbetween the two countries.

Reporter： “San Xia Xiang” （aninitiative that aims to advancescientific， cultural and sanitaryeducation in rural areas） isa unique volunteer projectin China. As an internationalstudent， how did you feelparticipating in this activity？

Bai Henli：During the summer vacation in2021， I participated in the “San Xia Xiang”volunteer activity， where I provided freeguidance to elementary school students in painting. The biggest realization I had fromthis activity was the concept of “learning fromteaching”. By analyzing the children’s drawings，it brought me different perspectives onpainting and inspired me with new creativeideas. Children have a different perspectiveon the world， and they may be more adept atcapturing the main features of each object andmagnifying them in nitely. therefore， this activitywas a process of mutual learning as well.

Reporter： It has been sevenyears since you came toGuizhou. What has beenthe greatest achievement ofstudying in Guizhou for you？

Bai Henli：Studying in Guizhou is a highly rewardingexperience. I have learned a lot about Chinese cultureand incorporated more Chinese cultural elements intomy artwork. Additionally， I have met many like-mindedclassmates and artist friends in China with whom Ican regularly exchange creative experiences. they arelike family to me. If given the opportunity， I would liketo continue to pursue a doctoral degree in China.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

As a young Eritrean painterwho came to China for education，Bai Henli has developed amulticultural mindset throughhis studies and life experiences.He is more inclusive and respectfultowards di erent racesand cultures from various countries.His artistic creations playa positive role in enhancingcross-cultural communicationand promoting the disseminationof Chinese culture to theworld.