In 1986, the book A History of Modern Chinese Painting, co-authored by me and Li Xiaoshan, was published by Jiangsu People’s Fine Arts Publishing House. This book, once released, created a sensation and has always been regarded as a significant publication during the ‘85 New Wave of Chinese art. In the keynote address at the 2022 Annual Conference of Chinese Critics, this book was acclaimed as “the leader in the writing of contemporary Chinese art history and the first to document contemporary art history in China.” Ten years after the publication of this book, the renowned art historian Su Liwen’s 20th Century Chinese Art and Artists, characterized by some scholars as free from the constraints of historical materials, featuring a narrative style that combines narration and commentary, echoed the approach of this book.
