The CAFA Art Museum presents A Journey Through Printmaking —International Printmaking Art Exhibition at 2B Gallery from October 20 to November 13, 2021. The exhibition is organized by China Central Academy of Fine Arts, presented by the CAFA Art Museum, and supported by the LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies, Columbia University School of the Arts. Professor Tomas Vu of Columbia University, Professor Yang Hongwei of Central Academy of Fine Arts, and artist Xinyi Liu are the co-curators of this exhibition. More than one hundred artworks from all over the world are exhibited. Featured artists (listed alphabetically by last name) include Cecily Brown, Fang Lijun, Ellen Gallagher, Gu Yuan, William Kentridge, Li Hua, Kiki Smith, Su Xinping, Sarah Sze, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Kara Walker, Xu Bing, and others.

Installation View

When we talk about printmaking, we often assume that it is the product of techniques such as woodcut, lithography, intaglio, and silkscreen. In this exhibition, artists will re-examine, re-think, and re-explore printmaking from the standpoint of doubters:

Why do printmaking?

What does printmaking mean to me?

Installation View

These are the questions for all participating artists. Every work exhibited is a direct or indirect answer from the artists. Some artists start from the concept of "printmaking," some from the structure of "plate," some from the action of "printing," some from the posture of "carving," some from the language of "plurality," and some from the characteristics of materials. Some do addition, others, subtraction. The diverse backgrounds, cultures, and multiple generations of artists will inevitably bring different answers to these questions. Collectively they not only contextualize the social significance of printmaking, but push discussion to the controversial question:

What will be the future of printmaking?

About the exhibition

Academic Host: Xu Bing

Curators: Tomas Vu, Yang Hongwei, Xinyi Liu 

Organized by: China Central Academy of Fine Arts

Presented by: CAFA Art Museum

Supported by: LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies, Columbia University

Duration: October 20, 2021 – November 13, 2021

Exhibition Venue: 2B Gallery, CAFA Art Museum, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China

Courtesy CAFA Art Museum.