Timeless Creatures. Animals in early Chinese pottery and 20th century Ink Paintings

Open weekdays 9:30 am to 5:30 pm

The exhibition spans 2000 years of Chinese art, contrasting the depiction of animals in pottery in the Han to Tang period with those in ink paintings by the artists Chang Chien-ying (1909-2003) and Fei Cheng-wu (1911-2000).

Creatures of all kinds have been a source of inspiration to Chinese artists from the earliest times and their depiction has ranged from the fantastical to the sensitively observed.  The pieces in this exhibition, despite being created more than a thousand years apart, share a fascination with the natural world and allow us to contemplate this continuity despite their very different contexts.

Chang and Fei, who married in London in 1953, lived and worked in the UK from 1946 until their deaths in the early 2000s.  They exhibited in galleries all over the country where their work sold to notable collectors, institutions and museums.  They contributed to the Summer Exhibition at the Royal academy and were elected to several artistic institutions.

Date: 20th June to 11th July 2024