Yishu Journal Returns with Issue on Modern Ink Painter Pan Tianshou

Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art has resumed publication after a two-year break, announcing its March 2024 release. The journal, an independent English-language publication with over two decades of history, plans to produce one thematic issue annually starting this year. Issue 103 focuses on modern ink brush painter Pan Tianshou, who died in 1971, highlighting his 1998 solo exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery in Canada. That show was part of a larger project titled 'Jiangnan: Modern and Contemporary Art from South of the Yangzi River,' which featured many contemporary artists who have since gained global recognition. The issue includes contributions from scholars and curators such as Dr. Chen Yongyi, director of the Pan Tianshou Memorial Museum in Hangzhou, and Zheng Shengtian, Hank Bull, and Jo-Anne Birnie-Danzker, who reflect on the 1998 exhibition. Essays by Mina Kim, Zaixin Hong, Britta Erickson, and Pan Gongkai examine Pan Tianshou's role in sustaining ink painting traditions, his regional influences from Jiangnan, and his impact as an educator. Contemporary artists Zheng Chongbin, Bingyi, and Luo Mingjun also provide personal insights on ink painting's evolution and relevance today. The editors—Diana Freundl, Keith Wallace, and Zheng Shengtian—note that while Yishu typically covers contemporary art, this issue honors historical figures to offer perspective on current artistic practices. The journal aims to restore its presence in the art community, with readers and writers having expressed appreciation for its return.