The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is thrilled to announce Qi Baishi: Inspiration In Ink, a landmark exhibition celebrating the life and work of the renowned ink painter Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864–1957). Opening December 12, this exhibition marks the 160th anniversary of the artist’s birth and features 42 works on paper lent by the Beijing Fine Art Academy, where Qi served as its first honorary director. This is the first time these works have been presented in the United States.
Born during the late Qing Dynasty, Qi Baishi was positioned at a unique place in history, living through some of the most transformative shifts in China’s political and cultural history. Despite this changing landscape, the artist’s accessible subject matter and virtuosic style earned him immense respect and popularity, both at home and abroad.
Celebrated for its whimsical approach and technical virtuosity, his works bring to life subjects drawn from the natural world and everyday life. Iconic images of shrimp and crab, among other motifs, reflect his ability to find hidden visual joys and transform the mundane into the magical, resonating with viewers across generations. Many of these motifs are included in the works on view.
“Qi Baishi’s technical abilities and expressionistic approach imbue his art with a spiritual quality, inviting viewers to contemplate the deeper significance of everyday motifs,” says Fan Jeremy Zhang, Barbara and Gerson Bakar Curator of Chinese Art. “His work resonates so widely with audiences because he not only captures his subjects but also seeks to express their spirit through calligraphic, spontaneous strokes, something that requires master brushwork.”
Considered the most popular painter of 20th-century China, Qi’s semi-abstract, minimalist approach to ink painting not only bridged traditional Chinese ink art with modernist tendencies but also left a lasting impact on global art movements. Today, scholars credit Qi’s combination of mundane subject matter and innovative, multifaceted techniques as having revitalized traditional Chinese ink painting for the modern era.
In conjunction with the exhibition, visitors will have the opportunity to engage with Qi Baishi’s legacy through both digital and tactile experiences. Guests can digitally “paint” at a desk that renders their own virtual “brushstrokes” in the style of Qi Baishi.
The exhibition will last until April 7, 2025.
Source: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco