Unbinding and Reconstructing: The Polyphonic Narrative of Yuan, Ming, and Qing Painting

The University of Chicago Center in Beijing
20th floor, Culture Plaza
No. 59A Zhong Guan Cun Street
Haidian District Beijing 100872

On Sunday, March 9, 2025, the UChicago Center in Beijing hosted a captivating discussion titled “Unbinding and Reconstructing: The Polyphonic Narrative of Yuan, Ming, and Qing Painting”, which drew a crowd of 220 attendees.

The event featured an insightful dialogue between two esteemed scholars, Professor Wu Hung, Director of the Center for the Art of East Asia at the University of Chicago, and Huang Xiaofeng, Professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Through their dialogue, the two scholars led the audience through time and space, unraveling the little-known stories behind paintings from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. They explored the diverse and rich connotations of these works, offering a more comprehensive and layered world of Chinese painting.  

The conversation centered around the evolution of literati painting, the dominant style during this period, and how it shaped the cultural and artistic landscape of China. The two experts also delved into numerous thought-provoking questions, including why literati painting became the most influential genre in Chinese art, how the classic paradigm of Chinese painting was established, and the characteristics of women artists and subjects during the period. The discussion also touched upon the evolution of Buddhist temple murals, particularly during the Ming and Qing periods, offering fresh perspectives on these underexplored art forms.

At the end of the event, the two experts engaged in a lively Q&A session and addressed audience questions on Chinese paintings. The Q&A session was a valuable opportunity for attendees to engage directly with experts. As the experts guided them to navigate through the intricate tapestry of Chinese artworks, the audience was left with a more comprehensive and nuanced view of the cultural and artistic developments that have shaped Chinese visual arts to this day.