Quiet Rise of China’s Female Contemporary Artists

An article in this week’s NY Times featured the quiet emergence of China’s female artists within the nations’ booming contemporary art scene. It is no secret that over recent years Chinese contemporary art has exploded with international interest, in fact, catapulting China past France as the world’s third largest art market.

Currently, China’s contemporary art scene is almost entirely dominated by men. The article not only highlights the innovation and inspiration behind China’s more well known female artists, but the arduous challenge of gaining the deserved recognition for their creative talent. With the market boom, waves of contemporary galleries have emerged in Beijing and Shanghai, yet rarely have they dedicated an exhibit solely to a female artist. Moreover, almost none of female artists have topped domestic auction charts.

Clearly art by women in China is not confined to ‘women’s issues’ like family and home. Much of the art is about excavating a personal past and bringing it into the present, and about examining that present and how women are living it.

NYT: China’s Female Artists Quietly Emerge