A view of Pioneering: Chinese Artists Abroad in France and Modern Chinese Art (1911-1949), held at the CAFA Art Museum in Beijing. [Photo provided to chiadaily.com.cn]

5. Pioneering: Chinese Artists Abroad in France and Modern Chinese Art (1911-1949)

CAFA Art Museum in Beijing (Jan 1 - Mar 3)

Long Museum at the West Bund in Shanghai (Mar 16 - Jun 9)

Long Museum in Chongqing (June 18 - Sept 1)

Sponsored by the Central Academy of Fine Arts and co-organized by the CAFA Art Museum and Long Museum, the grand exhibition, a key project of the National Art Fund, encompasses over 200 signature works from more than 40 Chinese artists who had studied in France in the first half of the 20th century.

Among the featured artists are Xu Beihong (1895-1953), Wu Zuoren (1908-97), Wu Dayu (1903-1988), Liu Haisu (1896-1994) and Zao Wou-ki (1921-2013), each having had a strong impact on the thoughts, trends and education modes of modern China art, and even on the lifestyles of Chinese people.

The exhibition "aims to highlight the great endeavors these pioneering artists had made and remarkable achievements they had achieved to transform traditional Chinese art", said Hong Mei, the curator for the show. "It also offers rich inspiration for Chinese artists today who are well aware of international art trends and fully exposed to infinite possibilities in the age of cutting-edge technologies."