CAFA Library presents the 2nd annual exhibition themed on the collection of ex-libris and bookplate art
The bookplate, or ex-libris, which is an adaptation from the Latin generally taken to mean 'from the books of', used to be a mark of possession that the book lover pastes in his books, usually on the inside of the front cover, to denote his ownership. It was originally used to mark the gift and ownership of manuscript books in Germany about 1480. The earliest English bookplate dates circa 1520, the earliest French design circa 1574, whilst in America the date is circa 1642. One of the sixteenth century English bookplates was made for no less a personage than Sir Nicholas Bacon, the father of Sir Francis Bacon.
Exhibition Report | “Qian Xinye: Overseas Residency Project” Opens at CAFA
The exhibition Qian Xinye: Overseas Residency Project Review opened at 3:00 p.m. on December 23, 2025, at the Ink Laboratory Gallery (Basement Level, Building 5) of the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). Initiated by CAFA’s School of Chinese Painting, the exhibition presents the latest outcomes of the school’s international residency program.
The River Divides, The World Connects: A major retrospective of Liu Xiaodong is on display at TAM
Taikang Art Museum presents The River Divides, The World Connects in Beijing, which is Liu Xiaodong’s most systematic and comprehensive solo presentation to date, bringing together more than 70 original works created from the late 1970s to 2025, forming a condensed portrait of his over-four-decade artistic trajectory. Structured around two parallel threads—“East of the River / West of the River” and “What to Paint / How to Paint”—the exhibition approaches Liu’s work from both geographical and spiritual, thematic and methodological perspectives. Through the interweaving of time and space, it reveals the artist’s continuous process of renewal and reinvention between lived reality and the act of painting.
Observing “Home” from Tan Tan’s “Keep Gathering” at Double Double Gallery
From November 22 through to December 28, 2025, Tan Tan’s solo exhibition Keep Gathering is on display at Double Double Gallery in Beijing. Through the two mediums of oil painting and pastel on paper, the artist draws inspiration from “home”, capturing everyday visual fragments from various corners of her home and the “simulated homes” in IKEA stores.
A Retrospective Exhibition Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of Maksimov Oil Painting Training Program at CAFA
“Imported Oil Painting: A Retrospective Exhibition of the Maksimov Oil Painting Training Program at CAFA (1955-1957)” was unveiled at CAFA Art Museum on November 21, 2025. The exhibition showcases more than 240 works from the Maksimov Oil Painting Training Program, abundant literature and historical photographs, as well as hundreds of publications, which comprehensively review the teaching achievements of the Maksimov Oil Painting Training Program at CAFA.
