[EXHIBITION] Across Time and Space: Re-visiting Twentieth-Century Chinese Oil Paintings

The University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG), The University of Hong Kong (HKU), is honoured to present Across Time and Space: Re-visiting Twentieth-Century Chinese Oil Paintings. Highlighting the versatile aspects of Chinese oil paintings across a diverse spectrum of themes, styles, techniques, time periods, and regional and local characteristics, the exhibition presents a remarkable depth and virtuosity. Works range from intimate interior views to panoramic coastal landscapes; from collective and individual memories to urban scenes that activate dialogues of painting practices across cross-cultural and cross-media encounters.

The selected works represent various artistic styles and visual trends along with artists’ evolving perceptions and sensitivities about the changing face of twentieth-century China. These rarely displayed works include paintings by iconic masters and influential art educators, including Liu Haisu (1896–1994) and Wu Guanzhong (1919–2010), paintings by talented artists who trained in China’s leading art academies in the second half of the twentieth century, as well as artists who were crucial to the development of the modern art scene in Hong Kong, such as Lee Byng (Li Bing, 1903–1994), Ng Po-wan (Wu Buyun, 1904–2001) and Yee Bon (Yu Ben, 1905–1995).

In the early twentieth century, oil painting as a non-indigenous medium began to be taught in Chinese art academies. Over time, it has become a crucial and increasingly popular portal, inviting artists to explore cross-cultural dynamics and creative expression. We invite audiences to re-look at, re-encounter and re-experience these Chinese oil paintings and their sociocultural contexts, which is critical for understanding the broader category of twentieth-century Chinese paintings and their place within the narratives of art history.

Details of the Exhibition
Period: March 15, 2023 (Wednesday) to June 25, 2023 (Sunday)

Opening Hours:
9:30 am–6:00 pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
1:00 pm–6:00 pm (Sunday)
Closed on Mondays, University and Public Holidays
Venue: 1/F, T. T. Tsui Building, UMAG, HKU, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

Tel/Email: (852) 2241 5500 (General Enquiry) / museum@hku.hk
Admission: Free
Website: https://umag.hku.hk/exhibition/across-time-and-space-re-visiting-twentieth-century-chinese-oil-paintings/