How 20th-century Hong Kong and Guangdong art stood out from the rest of China

For China, the early- to mid-20th century was a time marked by political and social upheaval.

It began with the Xinhai Revolution, which saw the end of the imperial system, before the Second Sino-Japanese War rocked the nation.

The Chinese Communist Revolution and Cultural Revolution signified massive political and social shifts.

In 1949, after the Communist Party took power, a border was put up between mainland China and Hong Kong.

Against this complex backdrop, Cantonese artists adopted new ways of expression that culminated in a modern artistic identity. This identity is now being examined in “Canton Modern: Art and Visual Culture, 1900s-1970s” at Hong Kong’s M+ museum.

An artwork by Yip Yan-chuen depicting Hennessy Road in Hong Kong. A series of landscape sketches at the “Canton Modern” exhibition chronicle Yip’s life as a wartime refugee. Photo: M+
An artwork by Yip Yan-chuen depicting Hennessy Road in Hong Kong. A series of landscape sketches at the “Canton Modern” exhibition chronicle Yip’s life as a wartime refugee. Photo: M+

The exhibition, which runs until October 5, brings together 200 works from the museum’s own collection, as well as from other institutions and private collections.

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