From The 10th Chinese National Art Exhibition 2004　
Contemporary Paintings and Prints from China

China has been experiencing transformative shifts in its politics, economy, culture, and more in recent years. The number of exhibitions and newly built art museums is increasing across the country, vitalizing the local art scene. In 2004, The Chinese National Art Exhibition was held in Beijing, the largest open-call art exhibition in China. Founded in 1949, when the People’s Republic of China was established, the show is held nationwide every 5 years. This time, the 10th exhibition has selected 597 works for the awards through multiple selection boards, out of more than ten thousand applicants in total.

This exhibition brings together 95 artworks, carefully selected from the awarded pieces, ranging from Chinese paintings, oil paintings, watercolors, prints, lacquer paintings, New Year Pictures, Lianhuanhua, and Manhua works. Their subjects include peaceful rural landscapes, the lives of minority ethnic groups, historical events, urban life and customs, young people of the new generation, and contemporary social issues, all of which reveal various facets of Chinese society in its transformative era. Artistic practices by painters who began to explore the creativity and uniqueness of Chinese art within globalizing social contexts will also be featured.

Previous exhibitions of selected works from The Chinese National Art Exhibition were held twice at the Fukuoka Art Museum (1991 and 1996), and they were highly received by local citizens across a broad range of ages. This marks the fourth exhibition, and it is the second time to take place in FAAM since 2000.