The importance of Chinese art stretches far back into ancient times, and continues to this day. This upcoming year, the art world at large has taken note of its continued importance and a number of exhibitions around the world are featuring solely Chinese art. These range from showcasing ancient Chinese ceramics to classical ink scrolls and paintings to modern day sculptures of the contemporary art world. Here we have compiled a brief roundup of global Chinese art exhibits that you won’t want to miss!
The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco is presenting Exquisite Nature: 20 Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (14th–18th c.) through Nov. 1, 2015. This display will feature beautiful ink works by famed painter Ni Zan and many other classical Chinese artists. The exhibition’s nature theme will incorporate paintings of landscapes, birds and flowers, many of which are on loan from the Tang family collection.
The Asian Art Museum is also accommodating the widely publicized 28 Chinese through August 16, 2015. This show features installations by many famous contemporary artists such as Ai Weiwei, Zhang Huan and Xu Zhen. The mediums will cover painting, photography and new media and will introduce the visitor to some of the most important Chinese artists working today.
In London the Royal Academy of Arts will be displaying some of contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s most important works from past to present. Ai Weiwei is having a fantastic year – his work is being showcased at numerous exhibitions both at home in China and abroad, and it was recently announced that his passport has been returned, so he can now attend his landmark exhibition at RA. The exhibition runs from Sep. 19 – Dec. 13, 2015.
Another famous installation of Ai Weiwei’s is his traveling circle of bronze and gold animal / Chinese zodiac heads. These were first exhibited in 2010 and in 2016 they will be making appearances in Australia, France, Spain and six cities across the USA.
Flowers to Frost: Four Seasons in East Asian Art is a free exhibition at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Missouri ending on July 17, 2016. This show serves to signify how integral nature and its cycles are to East Asian culture through curated portrayals of landscapes, flowers and seasonal activities.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is featuring a few of its own shows that emphasize Chinese poeticism through art. Chinese Lacquer: Treasures from the Irving Collection 12th-18th century features the most important examples of Chinese lacquerware found in the Museum’s collection. Chinese Textiles: Eight Centuries of Masterpieces from the Met Collection will feature fantastic embroideries, three of which are rare, and showcase how culturally important silk is in China. Both of these exhibits end June 19, 2016.
Masterpieces of Chinese Painting from the Metropolitan Collection, showcasing Oct 31, 2015 – Oct 11, 2016 has paintings from the Tang Dynasty (609 – 917) onwards that detail China’s history through the medium of the paintbrush. As the Metropolitan’s collection of Chinese paintings is now one of the greatest in the world, this exhibition of painting masterpieces is surely not to be missed.
The Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC also has a number of Chinese art exhibits which will be featured until January 3, 2016. Promise of Paradise: Early Chinese Buddhist Sculpture proves China’s dedication to the religion at that time through displaying sculptures made of various types of metal and stone that were commissioned by the likes of Emperors. Chinese Ceramics: 13th-14th Century showcases beautiful and intricately painted ceramics from the Yuan dynasty. The exhibition also demonstrates the strength of the international demand for Chinese porcelain and ceramics during that time.
Silk Road Luxuries From China is another recommendation whereby exhibits from the Tang dynasty, which flourished with trade from the Silk Road, will be on display. Traders and goods moving along the Silk Road from Central Asia to China made an impression on both Chinese art and culture at the time, which is evidenced in these artifacts on display. Finally, a must see is the Ancient Chinese Jades & Bronzes exhibition in which over 100 jade and bronze pieces from the Freer’s collection will be on display for the first time in almost a decade.
If you are interested in seeing art exhibitions in China then please contact us.
