Works of the artist Zhang Xiaogang in the dialogue of traditions of Western European and Chinese painting

This article examines the artworks of Zhang Xiaogang as a prominent representative of the modern Chinese painting, peculiarities of his mastery formed in different periods of his creative path under the dual influence of Chinese and Western painting. Transformation and evolution of painting concepts and formal artistic means, claimed in the painter’s “Bloodline-Big Family” series, demonstrate how the “own historical memory” forms new expressive forms of painting. The author compares the interaction of forms and languages in the Western and Chinese painting, as well as analyzes characteristics of the structure of brush strokes of the painter in different periods for showing the formation of the inner spiritual essence. It proves that the clash of concepts of the Western and Chinese painting generated new artistic phenomena, which represent a result of assimilation of painting concepts and “localization” of formal language. The mutual influence of two cultures lead to origination of multiple ideas of plasticity and artistic forms. China has entered the period of “non-modernism”.

Introducing the art of modern China: trends in exhibiting modern Chinese painting in Britain, c.1930–1980

By 1930, the British public took a stronger interest in early Chinese art than in works produced in the pre-modern and modern periods. However, China’s cultural diplomacy in Britain during war-time, as well as the interactions between collectors, scholars and artists of both countries, helped refresh Occidental understanding of the tradition and recent achievements of Chinese art. This article examines the ways in which modern Chinese painting was perceived, collected and displayed in Britain from 1930 to 1980 – the formative period for the collecting and connoisseurship of modern Chinese art in the West. It analyses exhibitions of twentieth-century Chinese painting held in museums and galleries in order to map trends and identify the major parties who introduced the British public to a new aspect of Chinese pictorial art. It also discusses prominent Chinese painters’ connections with British curators, scholars and dealers, who helped establish their reputation in Britain.