The partnership, initiated in 2022 between Beaux-Arts de Paris and the Zao Wou-Ki Foundation, awards 4 scholarships annually to foster the artistic careers of French and Chinese students and graduates from Beaux-Arts de Paris and the China Academy of Hangzhou.
Milana Gabriel, a 2023 graduate of Beaux-Arts de Paris, is the laureate of the 3rd edition of the Zao Wou-Ki Foundation scholarships for the post-diploma section. This financial support enables her to undertake artistic and anthropological research on kites in China. Residencies in Weifang and Hangzhou (By Art Matter) allow her to participate in workshops, meetings, festivals, and exhibitions, providing opportunities to engage with artisans, engineers, artists, collectors, and researchers.
These excellent working conditions have allowed the young artist, with a highly international profile, to deepen her knowledge of kite symbolism and manufacturing. Actions in Mexico and France are planned for 2026 and 2027.
Previous laureates include Swann Ronné (graduated 2021), who had a residency followed by an exhibition at the Galaxy Museum in Chongqing in 2023 and 2024, and Arthur Dujols-Luquet (graduated 2023), who spent two semesters in Hangzhou in 2024 and 2025, one within a China Academy program and the other in residence at the 404 cultural center, to refine his practice in drawing, dance-performance, and video.
