IT should have been a big day yesterday for Beijing artist Feng Jianwen (above).
His first exhibition in Hong Kong, entitled ''Sounds of Nature'' opened at the Police Officers' Club in Causeway Bay, and he should have been the star attraction at the cocktail reception held in his honour.
But, alas, at the last minute Feng was refused a passport to travel by the Chinese authorities for unspecified reasons and the exhibition of oils and watercolours opened without its creator.
Speaking from Beijing yesterday, Feng, who has never travelled outside his homeland, expressed a hope that he could still visit the territory before his exhibition closed on June 15.
Gerard Tannam, of Arts 'N Noise, who is putting on the exhibition, said: ''We are working to provide a further opportunity for the artist to travel to Hong Kong with newer work later this year and we are confident he will have his papers in hand by then.''
