Exhibition traces Chunshui academy's legacy and transformation

Featuring more than 50 Chinese paintings and rare archival materials, “Forging Paths — Art Research Exhibition of the Chunshui Fellows” presents the artistic evolution of the Chunshui circle from the early 20th century through the founding of New China. It highlights the Lingnan School of Painting’s ethos of “synthesizing Chinese and Western influences” and “keeping pace with the times.”

The Chunshui Painting Academy was founded in Guangzhou in 1923 by the master painter Gao Jianfu. He advanced his “synthesizing Chinese and Western” philosophy and mentored key figures of the Lingnan School, including Guan Shanyue and Li Xiongcai.

A painting created by Guan Shanyue in 1939. Photos courtesy of the organizers

A painting created by Ju Lian.

A painting created by Su Wonong.

On display at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum, the exhibition brings together treasured collections from multiple institutions, including the Memorial Hall of Lingnan School of Painting and the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. The works range from traditional landscapes, flowers-and-birds, and figure paintings to more contemporary aesthetics and everyday perspectives.

The exhibition is organized into four sections. “Premonition in Chunshui” chronicles the academy’s founding and its pedagogical roots in Ju Lian’s distinctive techniques. “Tradition Reinvented” explores creative reworkings of tradition through works by Su Wonong, Huang Dufeng, Guan, and Li. 

Visitors admire paintings at the exhibition.

“Traveling for the Country’s Salvation” documents the wartime years, when Gao and his students relocated to Macao after Guangzhou was occupied by Japanese invaders — transforming national upheaval into powerful realist works. “Reforging the Great Land” presents post-1949 works that celebrate national reconstruction, alongside teaching materials showing how the academy’s reformist ideas were integrated into modern art education.

Beyond a conventional display, the exhibition takes a research-driven curatorial approach, pairing artworks with historical photographs, manifestos, and archival documents to help visitors better understand the works’ historical contexts.

Visitors learn about the history of Chunshui Painting Academy at the exhibition.

A visitor observes a painting.

Chen Junyu, director of Guan Shanyue Art Museum, said the museum has long been devoted to the study of 20th-century Chinese art, with a recent emphasis on Lingnan art. Building on highly praised exhibitions of Guan’s wartime works and Lin Fengsu’s poetic landscapes, the current show broadens the research lens to the entire Chunshui Painting Academy circle. Through cross-institutional collaboration, the exhibition series traces a vivid history of modern Lingnan art, offering audiences across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and beyond a valuable window into the modern transformation of Chinese painting.

Dates: Through Sept. 9

Venue: Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Futian District (关山月美术馆)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit F