Tang Contemporary Art in Beijing is launching a massive retrospective titled '1985–2025: Chinese Modern Ink Art,' curated by Zou Jianping. Featuring over 120 works by 68 artists across two gallery spaces, the exhibition traces the forty-year evolution of ink painting from the '85 New Wave movement to the present day. The show highlights key figures such as Gu Wenda, Wang Tiande, and Liu Qinghe, showcasing how the medium transitioned from traditional brushwork to experimental forms including installation and digital media.
This exhibition serves as a critical re-examination of a medium that was once declared to be at a 'dead end' in the mid-1980s. By documenting the struggle between Eastern tradition and Western modernism, the survey asserts the continued relevance of ink art in the global contemporary discourse. It honors the artists who moved beyond 'national essence' to develop a self-reflexive language that responds to urban life, digital culture, and philosophical inquiry, proving that ink remains a vital, living agency rather than a static museum specimen.