A menswear design contest is held as part of the China-UK Art & Aesthetics Forum. Designers from both countries showed their creations in a gala after the forum in the Forbidden City in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Mark Dunhill compares Chinese artist Qi Baishi (1864-1957) to French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954).

"I saw an exhibition of Qi's painting last time when I was in Beijing. I was completely knocked out by his works," says the academic dean at Central Saint Martins, the renowned fashion design school in London.

"They are amazing. I would like to compare him with Matisse. It's interesting to discover the sophistication and simplicity of his works, and they gave me a real insight to understand a little bit more about Chinese traditional art," Dunhill said at a recent Sino-UK fashion and art event held in the Forbidden City in Beijing.

The China-UK Art & Aesthetics Forum was organized by Phoenix Art, part of the Sino-UK culture exchange year. Artists and fashion designers from both countries shared their ideas at the forum.

Before the forum, Phoenix Art launched a menswear design contest featuring 83 designers from both countries.

A jury chaired by Chinese fashion designer Zhang Zhaoda and artist Xu Lei chose 14 finalists, who showed their designs at a gala after the forum.