Chinese art is rooted in a long history, reflecting both a continuum of style and cultural themes. Contemporary Chinese art, often referred to as the Chinese "avant-garde," began in the1980s as an outgrowth or reaction to developments during the post-Cultural Revolution. This panel will examine contemporary Chinese art from a global perspective, as well as issues surrounding the international and post-national.  Panelists will contrast the new wave experimental art being practiced with the more traditional “enduring” theme, as well compare the difference between a Chinese perspective and that of Chinese-American artist or Ex-pats now living in the U.S.

Lilly Wei is a New York-based independent curator, essayist and critic who writes for several publications in the United States and abroad. A frequent contributor to Art in America, she is a contributing editor at ART news and Art Asia Pacific. She has also been the essayist for many exhibition catalogues and brochures on contemporary art. Wei has served on numerous advisory panels and review committees, including the Pew Fellowship awards and is a member of several boards, including the International Association of Art Critics (AICA/USA), Art in General, and Art Omi, an international artist residency program. She has been a guest lecturer and visiting critic at art institutions nationally and internationally. One of her most recent large-scale curatorial projects was the exhibition, “The Invisible Thread, Spirit of Buddhism in Contemporary Art”, at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Staten Island, New York which was part of The Buddhist Project, a consortium of exhibitions and programs exploring Buddhist influence in contemporary American culture. She was also a curator of the first International Biennale of Lodz in Poland. Wei has an M.A. in art history from Columbia University.

WEI Dong is an artist who combines the traditional Chinese and western-style technique.  In his works, the pearly-skinned women strike reveal pin-up poses amidst scenes that often remind his audience of either reminiscent Italian Renaissance paintings or the Chinese Ming landscape. The clash of images, traditions and values in his compositions is a reflection of contemporary society, where sex, violence and popular culture dominate traditional ones. His works have been shown extensively in museums and galleries in US, Asia and Europe and have been reviewed by The New Year Times, ArtNews, CNN, etc.

This Festival was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. All views, findings, conclusions or recommendations in this festival do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.