Decades of Art Criticism Illuminated in a New Collection

Shao Dazhen, a renowned critic and professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Recently launched in Beijing, the Shao Dazhen Collection of Art Criticism shines a spotlight on a new compilation of his insightful art criticism articles dating back to the 1950s.

Shao Dazhen, a distinguished critic and professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, has maintained a continuous output for over six decades since his seminal piece "Donkeys, Chimpanzees, and Others" graced the pages of a magazine in 1958. With a prolific portfolio exceeding 1,000 art criticism articles to date, the majority of his works have emerged since the 1980s.

The softcover version of recently published Shao Dazhen Collection of Art Criticism. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Organized in chronological order based on their publication or writing dates, the articles within his collection offer a window into the evolution of Shao's perspectives on art criticism, allowing readers to trace the development of his thoughts over time.

This comprehensive collection spans all of his art criticism articles from the 1950s to the present, alongside previously unpublished commentaries on both Chinese and foreign art. It is categorized into sections covering foreign art criticism, critiques of Chinese painting and oil painting, analysis of artistic trends, phenomena, and issues, as well as evaluations of individual artists. Together, these sections offer a thorough and insightful exploration of his profound reflections on the realms of Chinese and international fine arts.