Exhibition sheds light on forgotten pioneer of modern art

Hu Gentian and the Western Art Development in 20th Century Guangdong, an ongoing exhibition at the Art Museum of the Beijing Fine Art Academy, directs the public’s attention to Hu Gentian (1892-1985), a pioneer of art development and education in Guangdong province, where he lived and worked until his death.

Little-known Hu was active in promoting modern art and establishing fine art and public education in art in Guangdong.

Trained in Japan, Hu helped plant the seeds of modernism by introducing of Western art techniques and teaching ideas. He cultivated young, homegrown artists, some of whom later became his colleagues in art education. Together, they shaped Guangdong’s modern art landscape and most of southern China in the 20th century.