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Master of Chinese Expressionism

How Art Museum is an independent contemporary art agency which runs according to the standard of international art museums. With sound systems and perfect facilities, pragmatic academic mechanisms, as well as advanced management ideals, it is devoted to creating an international platform for artistic exchange and promoting the development of contemporary art in China.

With collection as its foundation, and academy as its focus, How Art Museum will carry out themed collections, exhibitions and researches in a selective way. “Masters of Chinese Expressionism”isthe beginning point. Themed Chinese expressionism, this exhibition invites 11 significant artists and criticsin the field, with the purpose of displaying the expressionist tendencies in Chinese contemporary art and exploring theexpressionism with Chinese characteristics.

“Expressionism” is a foreign concept with specific connotations and implications. It first appeared in Der Sturm, a German magazine, in 1911 for the first time, used by Wilhelm Worringer. As a stream of the Western modern art movement, it mainly refers to three art groups that developed in the early 20-century Germany, namely the Bridge, the Blue Rider and the New Objectivity. However, as an artistic tendency, expressionism appeared as early as the late 19th century in the works by Vincent van Gogh and Munch. The tendency which stemmed from the Northern Europe lasted for quite a long time and grew in a troubled era with social crises and mental confusion. It not only made striking progress in pre-war Germany, but led to the emergence of a group of expressionist masters in European countries. After the Second World War, the abstract expressionist movement rose in the United States, which evolved into an international thoughta decade later. Also, a “new expressionist” movement appeared in Germany in 1970s and 80s. It can be said that expressionism has endured and developed throughout the whole century. In Chinese contemporary art, it is also a significant element. Since 1980s, expressionism has co-existed with the classic realism in an opposing manner, though“expressiveness”in paintings is a common fact. In fact, Chinese traditional painting isexpressive in essence, at least its “expressive advantages” greater than its “reproductive advantages”.Take water painting for instance. It made its debut with a strong expressionist color. Its appearance signifies the transformation of Chinese traditional painting from concrete images to imaginary images, from realism to impressionism, from reproduction to expression. As a result of this transformation, “Masters of Chinese Expressionism”integrates features of Western modern art with it. Through the exhibition and the related academic symposium (with foreign scholars and Chinese critics present), How Art Museum intends to present a systematic analysis and theoretical explanation to this subject.

Curator: Jia Fangzhou, Peng Feng
Artists: Deng Jianjing, Ding Fang, Jia Difei, Luo Zhongli, Xia Xiaowan, Yan Peiming, Yang Shaobin, Zhang Enli, Zhang Huan, Zhou Chunya

Organizers: How Art Museum (under preparation), ShanghaiArt Museum (Shanghai,China)

  • How Art museum - chinese Expressionism

    How Art museum - chinese Expressionism