The complexity and confusion of styles and intentions are true characteristics of modern Chinese art. Just as the definition of “modernity” was subjected to reinterpretations at various points in China’s recent history, current notions of the canon are likewise subjected to change.

This book — consisting of ten articles by art historians, artist, historian, and curator — explores the developments of Chinese art in the 20th century, applying critical theories to question and reinterpret concepts that are normally taken for granted. Their writings also reveal the thought processes in which the authors filtered what they considered to be important information, especially regarding people, events, dates, and artworks. As such, the topic of each article is, in itself, a result of judicious selection. This volume demonstrates how modern Chinese art history has been — and can be — written.