Chinese contemporary art once emerged as a reflection of collective experience, expressing a group aesthetic that became widely accepted as a common typology, writing a history centered around artistic groups, schools, movements, and events. However, since the turn of the century, both artistic creation and critique have shifted to emphasize distinct individual experiences. These artists, predominantly from the 70s and 80s generations, grew up during the early years of China's reform and opening-up. Whether in life or in their creative work, they sought to extricate themselves from the weight of history and the consensus of art, seeking individual means and values. This shift was widely noted in art commentary and exhibitions post-2000, often seen as one of the main tendencies of both the artists and the era.

However, reality is far more complex than this generalization. Human existence is always grounded in a shared society, and while this generation of artists emphasizes individual experience, the relationship between them and their times, as well as the relationships among individual artists, has not fundamentally changed. Its intensity has not noticeably decreased but has become more intricate and complex. Observing this phenomenon now requires more than simply labeling it as “individual experience.” It necessitates in-depth research based on a variety of regions, groups, different life stages, and artistic media used by artists.

This exhibition mainly focuses on 70s and 80s artists who work with traditional Chinese painting materials, aiming to explore the complex relationships between generations, materials, artistic concepts, and stylistic themes in contemporary Chinese art. Over a decade ago, "new gongbi" and "new ink wash" became popular topics in the art world, but discussions around these movements were often confined to the logic of historical and contemporary innovation in Chinese painting, without integrating them into the broader context of contemporary Chinese art and linking them to the artists' generational experiences. Therefore, this exhibition seeks to use this opportunity to break through the traditional paradigms of Chinese contemporary painting, viewing it as a broader "specimen" and exploring its place within contemporary Chinese art.

Looking at the works on display, they are full of individuality, yet they do not fall into the trap of artists’ unchecked personal expression. Instead, they connect personal experience, artistic choice, and the vastness of art history and contemporary reality. Some works incorporate elements from the Renaissance to Impressionism, as well as figures and landscapes from the Song and Yuan dynasties through to the Ming and Qing periods. There is both a contemporary expansion of classical interest and a re-interpretation of daily life in a neoclassical expression. The works explore both the interplay between the individual and society, as well as the dialogue between the self and the other... These pieces not only vividly present the personal lives and emotional experiences of this generation of artists, as well as their relationship with society, but also embed these expressions into a contemporary understanding that blends the ancient and the modern, East and West, reality and ideals, together constructing a multi-layered and complex web of meaning.

Text: Wei Sheng