Exploring Shanshui

Exploring Shanshui: Mountains and Rivers in Chinese Landscape Paintings showcases a captivating selection of paintings from the collection of the University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG), The University of Hong Kong.This publication spans from the early Qing dynasty (17th century) to contemporary times. The represented artists come from diverse backgrounds and employ a variety of approaches, highlighting the genre s interdisciplinary nature and cross-cultural aspect. The works reflect the influence of various schools, painting traditions and regional styles.This project presents the depth and virtuosity of Chinese landscape painting, tracing its development from the orthodox Four Wang masters of the early Qing dynasty to the Nanjing, Jiangxi and Shanghai schools of Chinese painting.The collection features iconic works by renowned 20th-century masters and influential art educators and scholars such as Huang Binhong (1865 1955), Zhang Hong (1891 1968), Liu Haisu (1896 1994), Fang Zhaoling (1914 2006),Jao Tsung-i (1917 2018) and Wan Qingli (1945 2017) along with other outstanding contemporary artists who trained in the leading Eastern and Western art academies.?This publication explores and reconsiders the profound connections between humans and the natural world, a theme central to Chinese artistic inquiry. Through their art, generations of Chinese landscape painters have sensitively conveyed their perceptions of locations, sites and landforms, providing viewers with insight into the connections between humans, places and spaces.