Beautiful forms
Forms of the People, now on at the Tsinghua University Art Museum, pays tribute to influential figures who taught at the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University and helped shape China's graphic and industrial design in the 20th century. Their work left a lasting imprint on the nation's aesthetic sensibility. Across posters, murals, cultural products and decorative elements in major architectural projects, these artists explored modern Chinese art through an emphasis on form, scale and depth, foregrounding the principles of decoration and visual beauty. From the vivid patterns of the Dunhuang murals to clay toys that delight children, the works on display show how artists upheld the tradition while rejuvenating it through innovations, inclusiveness and openness. The exhibition runs until March 1.
9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. Tsinghua University, Haidian district, Beijing. 010-6278-1012.
Reclusive spirit
How eccentric were the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, a loosely associated group of artists active in 18th-century Yangzhou in Jiangsu province? Clues and answers can be found in an ongoing exhibition devoted to Jin Nong, the central figure of this group of painters, known for his uniquely unorthodox style. A Reclusive Spirit amid the Mundane, an exhibition at Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou, Jin's hometown, traces his life and artistic evolution through works drawn from several museum collections. Although reputed in his youth for his literary and calligraphic accomplishments, Jin didn't focus on painting until he turned 50. Living among the hustle and bustle of Yangzhou, a prosperous commercial hub where Jin earned his living by selling art, at heart, he remained detached from worldly concerns, a temperament vividly presented in his unconventional strokes. The exhibition runs until March 15.
9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 138 Nanshan Lu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. 0571-8707-8700.
Long and profound
One reason the paintings of late artist Huang Yongyu (1924-2023) are loved by many is their humor, openness and optimism, qualities that guided both the artist and generations of viewers through life's hardships. Huang once said, "If you miss me, come to see my art." So Long, So Profound, a collaboration between the Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, and the Beijing Fine Art Academy, invites visitors in Guangzhou to pay homage to Huang through works he created after the age of 90. They are on show until March 15. Mostly confined indoors, the artist turned his sharp, observant gaze to the small creatures in his garden — flowers, leaves and insects — celebrating the vitality and resilience of existence. He also revisited historical stories and figures, drawing viewers into quiet philosophical reflection.
9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 19 Bai'etan Nan Lu, Liwan district, Guangzhou, Guangdong province. 020-8890-2999.
