Across Time and Space

Explore the rise of oil painting in twentieth-century China. 

In the early twentieth century, oil painting as a non-Indigenous medium began to be taught in Chinese art academies. Since then, it has become an important and increasingly popular portal, inviting artists to explore cross-cultural dynamics and experiment with creative expression.

This selection of twentieth-century Chinese oil paintings from the UMAG collection sheds light on the historical and cultural significance of the medium. Highlighting versatile paintings across a diverse spectrum of themes, styles, techniques, time periods, and regional and local characteristics, Across Time and Space presents the depth and virtuosity of Chinese oil paintings, from intimate interior views to panoramic coastal landscapes. The selected works display and represent the artists’ evolving perceptions and sensitivities about the changing face of twentieth-century China. These works have rarely been shown in public and include paintings by iconic masters and influential art educators including Liu Haisu (1896–1994) and Wu Guanzhong (1919–2010).