Beijing exhibition traces 100 years of Chinese sketch art

The China National Academy of Painting is hosting an invitational exhibition on Chinese sketches, with works spanning 100 years on display in Beijing.

The China National Academy of Painting hosts an exhibition on Chinese sketches, with works spanning 100 years, in Beijing, Dec. 29, 2025. [Photo by Liu Sitong/China.org.cn]

The exhibition was originally scheduled for Dec. 5-19 but was extended to Jan. 2 due to popular demand.

More than 300 works from 150 artists are featured, including pieces by some of the most celebrated names in modern Chinese art, such as Xu Beihong, Li Kuchan and Zhang Daqian.

The exhibition explores the evolution of sketch art in China and the integration of Chinese and Western techniques, with the aim of highlighting new cultural values and diverse expressive approaches to line drawing.

The origins of sketch art in both China and the West trace back to rock paintings with simple lines and primitive artistic expressions. From those rudimentary beginnings, traditional Chinese painting developed rich and sophisticated methods of line work to portray landscapes, figures, birds and flowers. The art form was further enriched through the influence of Western painting, which differs in spatial composition and artistic language.

Xu Beihong, an influential modern Chinese artist known for fusing Chinese ink painting with Western oil techniques, believed that sketch is the foundation of all formative arts. He advocated for an inclusive approach that absorbs the essence of both traditions.

A sketch of an elder by Li Kuchan, 1950, is displayed at an exhibition hosted by the China National Academy of Painting in Beijing, Dec. 29, 2025. [Photo by Liu Sitong/China.org.cn]