THE TOPIC OF TIBET IN OIL FIGURATIVE ART OF CHINA AT THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY AND THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

After the accession of Tibet to China as an autonomous region in 1950s, the topic of Tibet can be traced in easel painting of the country. Chinese artists began prioritizing socio-political changes in the region, depicting transformations connected with collectivization and the development of ‘The New China.’ In the 1950s–1970s, the topic of Tibet was closely intertwined with socio-political problems, with the government’s objectives and coverage of improving the lives of ethnic minorities in the region. In the 1980s, with the advancement of the new period of economic and social reforms, the appearance of the direction called ‘the art of scars’, the way of rethinking of the accomplishments of artists of the previous generations, the topic of Tibet gets new interpretation. During this period, artists concentrated on depicting characters’ inner world, and their picturesque artworks became saturated with lyrical hints of romanticism and sentimentalism. The topic of Tibet in figurative art of China receives its development in the next period (1980–2000) as well, which is characterized by a deeper analysis of socio-ethnic issues. During this time, artists’ approach to creating the image of Tibetans changed; psychologism and realism of images, which are based on deep study of Tibetans’ everyday life and religious festivals, acquired their importance. In the modern stage of development of Chinese easel painting (2000-2020), the topic of Tibet stays relevant. Artists use various approaches to its depiction, staying within the scope of realistic art. Even though the topic remains an essential part of easel painting, modern artists allow themselves more freedom and creative experiments. The paper provides an analysis of the works of leading artists who devoted their creativity to Tibetan problematics: Pan ShiXun, Chen Danqing, Ma Changli, Zhou Chunya, Zhu Yiyong, Yu Xiaodong, Zhang Yibo, and Han Yuchen. The artists create images of Tibet, using original ductile decisions to express the uniqueness of the region and its residents. From socialist realism to photorealism, they depict diverse decisions on the topic but still stay within the realistic style. Exhibitions and biennales devoted to works on the Tibetan topic reveal an abundance of approaches and depict the significance of this topic in the modern easel painting of China.