China transformed dramatically in the 20th century. The political system alone saw great changes in the span of 37 years—shifting in 1912 from a monarchy to the Republic of China, and in 1949 to a Communist state. When China opened its ports and took on new trading partners, Chinese society was infused with Western ideas and artistic expression. The exhibition, China Modern: Designing 20th Century Popular Culture, chronicles the country’s changing character by celebrating its 20th century graphic art and material culture. The more than 170 objects in the exhibition explore Chinese designs and styles in advertising, packaging, and promotional art for cinema, music, comic books, pulp fiction, fashion, games and toys; and bring two contrasting 20th century ideologies—Capitalism and Communism—to the level of popular culture.

Left: Dried Lichee Box (1930s–1940s). Manufactured by Fook Loong, Canton. Lithograph on paperboard. Photo:© Alan Borrud, Portland, OR. artes fine arts magazine

In the mid-19th century, the Shanghai port was opened to westerners; by the beginning of the 20th century, Shanghai was China’s commercial center. Both Chinese and Western companies looked for new ways to lure customers with product promotion. When Western lithograph printing came to China, advertising art flourished. Handbills, posters, calendars, trade cards, product wrappers and packaging with Chinese themes were widely used to promote not just products but emerging political ideology as well. Ellen Johnston Laing, the author of Selling Happiness, cited that as many as 700,000 posters and calendars were printed during the first three decades of the 20th century. Most of these were produced in Shanghai.

The predominantly graphic-based objects in China Modern include lychee and cigarette boxes, children’s toys, a multitude of product labels and advertisements, as well as propaganda from the rule of Mao Zedong. Beautifully detailed woodblock prints and lithographs showcase the high-quality craftsmanship of Chinese print designers and artisans.

The iconic images in China Modern chronicle China’s changing attitudes, identity, and its transition to a giant, commercial superpower. Initiated and launched by the Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, California, the exhibition is curated by Kalim Winata, an independent scholar specializing in print and popular cultures of the 20th century with a focus on Asia. Winata worked closely with collector Reed Darmon to produce the book, Made in China. Published by Chronicle Books, this book provided the inspiration and foundation for the exhibition.

The exhibition is divided into four sections, spanning from the late Qing Dynasty through modern day artworks influenced by China’s graphic art traditions. The first section, A Graphic Tradition: Popular Design from Late Qing to Early Republic, serves as a prologue to the exhibition and features early New Year’s Day prints and imagery of household gods. Of special note are several woodblock prints from the late 1800s, illustrating Chinese mythology and folklore. By looking at the roots of graphic culture in the first quarter of the 20th century, visitors gain an appreciation for this custom and the burgeoning innovation which appeared from 1925 to 1949.

Following this, Cosmopolitan Capitalism: Shanghai under the Republic, looks at a range of materials from product packaging to film advertisements, illustrating the commercial practices of pre-Revolutionary China. These objects reflect Shanghai’s international position; both their aesthetic and promotional messages evoke the recent introduction of Western visual culture and values.

A Revolution in Culture: Designing the People’s Republic focuses on the household goods, advertising and propaganda materials. These objects reflect a significant cultural shift from the earlier era. The images provide powerful messages to the Chinese population, including the vast numbers of rural and urban illiterate that incorporate the tenets of the Communist Revolution and the new ideology of Maoism.

The exhibition culminates with The Aesthetics of Nostalgia, which demonstrates the ongoing impact of the embodiments of Chinese graphic culture today. Shepard Fairey’s use of iconic Mao images in his work, and 21st century product packaging featuring nostalgic images of 1930s Shanghai beauties, show the lasting impression of this aesthetic era.

China Modern contains powerful objects that are iconic in Chinese culture, but which can also be universally appreciated. American audiences will enjoy and connect with China’s visual arts, having also been raised in an environment heavily influence by visual media. The exhibition brings a greater understanding of China’s political, commercial, and artistic transition to the modern era, giving audiences a new appreciation for the country and its evolving cultural canvas.

By Beth Pacentrilli, Contributing Writer

 Beth Pacentrilli is the exhibition project manager for China Modern

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Having previously traveled to the Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, California, and the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery at Keene State College, New Hampshire, China Modern is on view at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Future venues include Fullerton Museum Center, California, and Middlebury College Museum of Art, Vermont. Please visit www.artsandartists.org/exhibitions/chinamodern.html for updated tour dates, or contact Beth Pacentrilli  bethp@artsandartists.org for more information on the exhibition and available dates.

The Pacific Asia Museum, established in 1971, is one of only four U.S. institutions dedicated to the arts and culture of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Serving the city of Los Angeles and the Greater Southern California region, the museum’s mission is to further intercultural understanding through the arts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. Visit www.pacificasiamuseum.org.

International Arts & Artists in Washington, DC, is a non-profit arts service organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally, through exhibitions, programs and services to artists, arts institutions and the public. Visit www.artsandartists.org