Allure of Matter

Materiality Across Chinese Art

Cacchione Orianna, Lin Wei-Cheng

Building on the Art and Materiality Symposium held on the occasion of the Smart Museum's exhibition The Allure of Matter, this publication considers the important but often overlooked role materials have played in the history of Chinese art and includes texts by the symposium participants and by new authors. The book first examines traditional materials in premodern art, including glass, crystal, wood, lacquer, paper, and gold. It then analyzes how new and often unconventional materials define and impact contemporary Chinese art. The first publication to expound the importance of materiality throughout the history of Chinese art, it includes essays from leading scholars, curators, and conservators.

About the Author

Orianna Cacchione is the curator for global contemporary art at the Smart Museum of Art. With Wu Hung, she curated The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China, which was presented at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Smart Museum.

Wei-Cheng Lin is an associate professor of art history and the College at the University of Chicago.

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