In celebration of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, Elisabeth de Brabant is honored to present the avant-premiere of the new literary masterpiece written by the artist, Shan Sa -- The Naked Zither -- accompanied by an exhibition of the artist’s works in oil, Chinese ink, and photography. It has been over two years since the Art Center first introduced Shan Sa’s return to her native China and her creativity and talent do not stop to amaze us. 
 
The traditional Chinese literati’s essential education required an artist-scholar to be well versed in many disciplines: literature, calligraphy, painting and music. We are honored to celebrate a great woman whose rarity is in keeping with these traditions, whose talent is multi-faceted and who is truly a unique artist in our current society. 

Shan Sa has acquired the efficiency of construction and à- plats from Western art. But never for a moment, even in her monumental oil paintings, did she try to move away from her pure Chinese traditional style, which she expresses with a delightful sovereignty and a proud lightness. In her paintings, we can enjoy the wonderful nature described by the Chinese poets.
 
“THE NAKED ZITHER”
 
The novel is set in China during the South-North dynasties (420-589 AD), alongside the Yangzi River, when North China, occupied by the nomad tribes, clashed with Southern China of Chinese exiles. 
 
Born to an aristocratic family, she was kidnapped the day before her wedding by a captain of the Imperial Army and forced to follow the path of his warfare. After falling into a world of violence, hunger and disease, she was unexpectedly taken to the Forbidden City.     
 
A young zither maker from the lowest cast, broke into an imperial tomb, stole the precious sarcophagus and carved a zither by using the sarcophagus wood. The sacred music awoke the ghost of an empress. 
 
The seven strings zither was created by a semi-god called Fu Xi who invented language, mathematics and the use of fire for Chinese people. Its education was reserved to a limited number of initiated. As its magical aria resonated, ancient cities, fabulous temples, warriors, conspirators, poets, pirates flew out of the misty vastness of the Yangzi River.