Chinese artist Qiu Anxiong (b. 1972, Chengdu) is part of the third generation of video and new media artists that emerged in mid-1990s China. His unique artistic approach weaves traditional influences with new technical skills, creating artworks that merge traditional ink painting, evocative imagery of ancient and modern China, and contemporary animation techniques.
Minguo Landscape (民国山水) is a black-and-white animation produced in 2007, adopting a Chinese ink painting style to depict nostalgic images of China during the Republican era, a moment in history right after the fall of the Qing dynasty and before the Communist period. This particular time fascinates the artist for the coexistence of clashing values and the cross-pollination between traditional Chinese culture and modern Western civilisation.
The work fluidly shifts between scenes of the countryside, such as rural town centres, old Shanghai gramophones, village fishing boats, modern ships and children practicing calligraphy, communicating a sense of romance and conflict through a poetic idealisation of the past.
