Powerful Exhibit Explores the Role of Tradition in Contemporary Chinese Art
Photo: Alex Barber
The Asia Society Texas has put together a fascinating exhibition that highlights the works of 32 well-known and emerging Chinese artists working today. Summoning Memories: Art Beyond Chinese Traditions is a look at how artists of Chinese descent are able to honor their cultural traditions while still pushing creative boundaries. Featuring painting, sculpture, and photography, the exhibit demonstrates a powerful intergenerational dialogue tied to memory and respect.
In many instances, the artists experiment with traditional techniques and mediums used in China, including ink painting and calligraphy. In the case of Xu Bing's well-known handscroll, How to Do Square Word Calligraphy, English words are rearranged and deconstructed to appear as Chinese characters.
Yun-fei Ji tackles traditional Chinese landscape painting with his handscroll Three Gorges Dam Migration. But in this work, where the creation of a dam has dire consequences in the forms of migration and environmental destruction, the issues are wholly modern.
Environmental issues, problems related to urbanization, and China's rapid modernization are just some of the contemporary social issues tackled by the talented group. Collectively they show the power of summoning the past to forge a new path into the future.
Summoning Memories: Art Beyond Chinese Traditions is on view until July 2, 2023, at Asia Society Texas in Houston.
Asia Society Texas is showcasing the talents of 32 artists of Chinese descent.
Photo: Alex Barber
Yun-Fei Ji, ‘The Three Gorges Dam Migration’ (detail), 2008, Ink and watercolor on xuan paper mounted on silk, Courtesy the artist and James Cohan Gallery
Zhang Dali, ‘100 Chinese’ (detail), 2001, Synthetic resin, Courtesy of the artist and Eli Klein Gallery.
Zheng Lu, ‘Water in Dripping – You’ (detail), 2016, Stainless steel, Courtesy of the artist and Sundaram Tagore Gallery.
Photo: Alex Barber
Summoning Memories: Art Beyond Chinese Traditions shows how these artists experiment with traditional materials.
Photo: Alex Barber
Sun Xun, ‘The Time Vivarium-11,’ 2014, Acrylic and ink on paper mounted to aluminum, Pizzuti Collection
Sun Xun, ‘The Time Vivarium-16,’ 2014, Acrylic and ink on paper mounted to aluminum, Pizzuti Collection
And in doing so, they honor the past while blazing a new trail toward the future.
Photo: Alex Barber
Fu Xiaotong, ‘719,560 Pinpricks’ (detail), 2019, Handmade xuan paper, Courtesy of the artist and Chambers Fine Art.
Yang Yongliang, ‘Imagined Landscape, Rabbit,’ 2022, Giclee print on fine art paper, Courtesy the artist
Zhang Jian-Jun, ‘Rubbing Planet in Shui-mo Space,’ 2022, Chinese ink, oil paint, acrylic, rice paper on canvas, Courtesy the artist
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My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Asia Society.
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