Contemporary Chinese Woodblock Prints @ University of Michigan

Liu QingyuanDarling of the Times No. 4,

An exhibition of contemporary Chinese woodblock prints at the University of Michigan Museum of Art is showcasing the innovations, in both technique and conception, which is transforming this long estlished art form.

The exhibition is presenting works by 41 leading printmakers, including artists such as Xu Bing, Kang Ning, Song Yuanwen, Chen Qi, He Kun, and Fang Limin, as well as many other accomplished printmakers.

Shi Yi, Dream of the Snowy Land

When the first public exhibition of modern-style woodblock prints took place in Shanghai in June 1931, it heralded an explosive art movement that helped shape the course of modern Chinese art history in the 20th century and has remained a vital part of contemporary China' s artistic language.

This exhibition refers to both the complex process of making a print-especially when the traditional moveable multi-block method is employed- and the vibrant and diverse visions and vocabularies reflected in contemporary Chinese prints.

Fang Limin, Climbing

The exhibition underscores the printmakers' search for a new visual language and subject matter in self-conscious competition with oil and ink-and-brush painters on the one hand and mass-produced print culture on the other.

Dai Zhengsheng, Bell Rings over the Land