How 20th-century Hong Kong and Guangdong art stood out from the rest of China
It began with the Xinhai Revolution, which saw the end of the imperial system, before the Second Sino-Japanese War rocked the nation.
The Chinese Communist Revolution and
Cultural Revolution signified massive political and social shifts.
In 1949, after the Communist Party took power, a border was put up between mainland China and Hong Kong.
Against this complex backdrop, Cantonese artists adopted new ways of expression that culminated in a modern artistic identity. This identity is now being examined in 'Canton Modern: Art and Visual Culture, 1900s-1970s' at Hong Kong's M+ museum.
An artwork by Yip Yan-chuen depicting Hennessy Road in Hong Kong. A series of landscape sketches at the 'Canton Modern' exhibition chronicle Yip's life as a wartime refugee. Photo: M+
The exhibition, which runs until October 5, brings together 200 works from the museum's own collection, as well as from other institutions and private collections.
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