Lu Xun's Legacy: Print Making in Modern China
Lu Xun (1881-1936) is the pen name of the revolutionary Chinese writer Zhou Shuren.
Arguably one of the most important cultural figures of 20th century China, Lu Xun was a leading left-wing writer and print-maker and a passionate critic of the cultural and political conditions in early 20th century China. Lu Xun transformed the neglected art of woodblock printing, invented in China more than 1000 years earlier, making the woodblock print a weapon for social change and national resistance.
This retrospective includes fifty-three prints drawn from the collections of the Muban Educational Trust, chosen from every decade since Lu Xun founded the Modern Woodcut Movement in the 1930s. The exhibition explores artistic trends, political conflict and technical innovations. Its four sections aim to connect history with the contemporary and message with style and technique.
Lu Xun’s Legacy: Print Making in Modern China celebrates the extraordinary range and versatility of style, technique and aesthetic expression in modern Chinese prints.
Follow the links below to explore this exhibition:
Video tour around the exhibition at the Oriental Museum
Download the English language large print guide or Chinese language guide for the exhibition at the Oriental Museum.
The Chinese language guide was prepared by students studying towards the MA In Translation Studies at Durham University as part of a work placement at the Oriental Museum.
Image at top of page: Detail from My Home on the Songhua River by Chen Yuping (1982), Muban Educational Trust registration no.chenyp061