When the Cultural Revolution ended in China, the long-repressed artists and writers reemerged. In art, particularly, they began to move away from the Romantic-Realism used in the propaganda art of the 1960s and 1970s, to experiment with new forms and techniques. Influenced by the Western modernist and post-modernist art that was entering the country as part of the “Cultural Discussion,” they continued to bring a humanistic, political edge to their work. By the mid-1980s an active, experimental art movement appeared in China, which one critic dubbed the “85 New Wave.”

This new book offers an expansive overview of painting in China over the past quarter-century, including today’s newest trends. Featured are works by over 80 contemporary Chinese artists, with examples of their work in nearly 250 full color photographs. The progress during a short span of 20 years is explored, especially the most recent decade of Chinese art history. The significant historical events, ideas, and trends are recounted, and the leading figures in the Chinese art world are introduced. Their stories and important information about the evolution of the fine arts in China make this a groundbreaking study and an important resource for art lovers and art historians around the world. All of this is put in the context of China’s unparalleled social and cultural changes, giving the reader a deeper insight into this complex and changing nation.

Dian Tong is one of the founders of the Tao Water Gallery located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. She came to United States in 1990 after being involved in “’85 New Wave,” has been studying and dealing with China’s new art for more than 20 years. In 1991, she published her first book, Chinese Modern Art History – 1985-1986, in Shanghai in collaboration with some of the people active in the “’85 New Wave.” That was the first book ever published in China about its modern art movement. In the decade before she came to U.S., she graduated and worked at Nan Kai University, Tianjing.  

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