7. Direction: Painting Practice, Research, and Curatorial Studies
Supervisors: Yu Xuhong, Lan Youli, Zhang Suqi
The Painting Practice, Research, and Curatorial Studies program integrates painting practice, methodological inquiry, and curatorial innovation. Drawing upon the College Museum’s curatorial platform and the University’s extensive library and archival resources, the programme takes hands-on engagement with painting as its foundation while fostering a sustained dialogue between artistic practice and critical thought. It emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between visual thinking and creative practice, encouraging their mutual enrichment through research and experimentation. Students are guided to engage with both the traditions of Western visual art and the intellectual and aesthetic legacy of Chinese culture, while developing expertise in painting practice, theoretical research, and the planning and curation of contemporary art exhibitions. The programme aims to cultivate interdisciplinary practitioners who combine artistic creativity with scholarly research and curatorial competence.
8. Direction: Practice and Research of Classical Chinese Calligraphy
Supervisors: Jin Jiancai, Cao Jinyan, Shang Zuowen
The Practice and Research of Classical Chinese Calligraphy program, offered under the Visual Sinology programme, is a newly established area of study dedicated to the systematic exploration of China’s calligraphic tradition. The programme examines the historical development of exemplary calligraphic works (fashu) across successive dynasties, investigating both the technical systems and the aesthetic, philosophical, and cultural values embodied in classical calligraphy. Combining rigorous practical training with historical and theoretical research, it encourages students to cultivate artistic excellence grounded in moral character, intellectual depth, solid technical foundations, and individual creative expression. The programme seeks to nurture accomplished calligraphers and scholars capable of preserving, revitalizing, and advancing the rich heritage of Chinese calligraphy while contributing to the transmission of China’s outstanding traditional culture in a contemporary global context.
9. Direction: History and Theory of Chinese Photography
Supervisors: Jin Yongquan, Gao Chu, Men Xiaoyan
The History and Theory of Chinese Photography program is built upon the Institute’s flagship initiatives, The Visual Archive of the Chinese Revolution (Party History Image Documentation) and Visual Historiography and Visual Culture Studies, which are dedicated to photographic archives, academic research, and disciplinary development. Over the past decade, the Institute has undertaken the systematic rescue, collection, preservation, and cataloguing of modern Chinese photographic archives on a global scale, establishing itself at the forefront of archival scholarship, academic production, and exhibition practice.
The international research programmes Photography in China, and Photographs: China and World have fostered an extensive global network of photography historians, museums, art institutions, collections, and publishers, creating a collaborative platform that bridges scholarship, curatorial practice, and cultural dissemination. The programme’s achievements have received multiple national recognition, including five major publication and government awards, selection in both China’s Thirteenth and Fourteenth Five-Year Plans, and participation in more than ten national-level exhibitions.
Looking ahead, the programme will focus on a series of major thematic projects centered on the preservation, organisation, and scholarly interpretation of the visual archives of the Chinese Revolution and historical image documentation of the Communist Party of China. Through these efforts, it seeks to develop a distinctly Chinese academic discourse and narrative framework for photographic history, with the long-term goal of advancing this research into a national key project in philosophy and the social sciences. At the same time, the programme will continue to promote the translation of research outcomes into public and educational practice, supporting China’s national cultural development strategy while strengthening the integration of disciplinary research and practice-based education.
10. Direction: Art Appreciation and Digital Publishing
Supervisors: Li Zhenpeng, Lu Yong, Li Jieyi, Xu Xinhong
The Art Appreciation and Digital Publishing program is grounded in the study of traditional artistic and aesthetic heritage while embracing the creative possibilities of emerging technologies. Centered on the Academy’s research in Eastern aesthetics, the programme adopts an interdisciplinary teaching model that brings together faculty from diverse academic and professional backgrounds to foster collaborative learning and innovative practice. Through an open and exploratory approach, students investigate the integration of the enduring values of traditional art with the creative potential of contemporary digital technologies, developing new methodologies for artistic creation, critical interpretation, and digital experimentation across multiple media platforms. The programme aims to cultivate innovative practitioners and researchers equipped to advance the preservation, communication, and transformation of artistic heritage in the digital age.
11. Direction: Virtual Vision and Holographic Art
Supervisors: Gao Shiqiang, Zhang Zhiyi, Li Jiang, Lu Yong
The Virtual Vision and Holographic Art program builds upon the long-standing collaboration between the Institute for Collaborative Innovation in Chinese Visual Studies at the China Academy of Art and the Scientific Art Research Center of the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Drawing on extensive research expertise in visual imaging technologies and visual arts, the programme focuses on virtual imaging and digital content creation, human–computer interaction based on virtual environments, virtual visual design, holographic art, and the development of virtual visual industry ecosystems.
Combining artistic innovation with cutting-edge technologies, the programme undertakes fundamental research in holographic art, virtual vision technologies, virtual visual design, and the theoretical and practical development of emerging digital creative ecosystems. It also emphasizes the construction of technological platforms, breakthroughs in key enabling technologies, and the development of experimental prototypes and creative applications. By integrating advances in artificial intelligence, information visualization, knowledge graphs, big data engineering, and 3D printing into artistic research and practice, the programme seeks to pioneer new forms of creative expression and expand the frontiers of virtual visual culture in the digital era.
