Canvas center stage

China in the 20th century witnessed the collapse of its old imperial system and the rise of a modern nation state. It was a century of war and revolution, as well as a period of reorientation and renewal. In their search for a modern China, many artists traveled and studied abroad, gaining a new perspective on the past and the world.

An exhibition in London features a selection of powerful ink paintings from the past 100 years by Chinese master artists.

The show starts with a work by Zhang Daqian (1889-1983), best known for his splashed ink landscapes in brilliant greens and blues, and a notorious forger. The exhibition also includes one of his famous forgeries. Zhang met Picasso in the 1950s and both artists exchanged ink drawings.

The exhibition goes on to explore the development and diversity of Chinese ink painting in the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States through the 20th century to the present. It focuses on artists who continued to practice "national-style painting" (guohua), a traditional medium of ink on paper. A highlight of the show is a group of loans of six monumental works by Liu Dan, a major living exponent of contemporary ink painting.

The 40 works on display range from landscapes in brilliant colors, moonscapes in paper montage and stunning visions of nature to statements of friendship or political dissent in calligraphy and caricature. These beautiful and inspiring pieces showcase the vitality and visual power of modern Chinese ink painting.

Date: On display

Venue: The British Museum, London

Website: www.britishmuseum.org

(China Daily 07/27/2012 page31)