Exhibition View of Shape of Myself: 2026 Nomination Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Female Artists
A recent exhibition and symposium themed on "Shape of Myself" was successfully held at CAFA Art Museum in Beijing. Centered around "2026 Nomination Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Female Artists", it brought together diversified explorations of art creativity by over 20 contemporary female artists, reflecting the sense of self-awareness and profound thinking in female artists' circles.
Exhibition View of Shape of Myself: 2026 Nomination Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Female Artists
The interacting dialogue their works have constituted contained both individualistic perspectives and unique artistic expressions, which also may evoke new possibilities for sensory experiences and discussions on issues such as identity, body, emotions, memory, and more, across different generations and individual life experiences.
Exhibition View of Shape of Myself: 2026 Nomination Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Female Artists
Xu Lian, President and Researcher of the China Female Artists Association, served as the academic host of this exhibition. She posed a question right from the outset: "Shape of Myself" here pointed to the confidence and vibrant life force that female artists displayed, behind which lay a core issue: since each artist has her own unique style, was there a common characteristic among female artists that distinguished them from male artists? On the other hand, as female artists increasingly asserted their subjectivity of "doing things their own way," did this also mean that they were facing some new challenges? Around this series of topics, the conference was chaired by Prof. Shao Yiyang from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and joined by invited scholars, representatives of the China Female Artists Association, and exhibiting artists.
Wang Xiaolin, Deputy Party Secretary of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Executive Vice President of the China Female Artists Association, served as the curator of this exhibition. She further introduced that, as the first academic nomination exhibition organized by the Association, "Shape of Myself" was of unique significance from its exhibition mechanism to its practical implementation. Six members of the nomination committee were specially invited to select over 20 outstanding young and middle-aged artists in the fields of oil painting and sculpture, presenting a diverse appearance that is both exploratory and experimental.
View of the Symposium
The Group Photo of Honored Guessts
Yu Yang, Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Ge Yujun, Dean of the Graduate School of CAFA; Kong Zi, Honorary President of the China Female Artists Association; Kang Lei, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Female Artists Association, Executive Curator of this exhibition, and participating artist; special invited artist representative Yan Ping; Yan Yan, Director of Today Art Museum; and Zhang Chen, Associate Professor at the School of Humanities of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, respectively shared their own opinions and experiences.
Participating artists and theorists such as Liu Hong, Chen Shuxia, Zhu Zhiwei, Zhou Simin, Deng Ke, and Geng Xue attended the symposium. While affirming the awakening subjectivity of female artists, they also confronted the classification anxiety of "post-subject." Prof. Shao Yiyang, the host of this symposium and Vice Dean of the School of Humanities at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, summarized that contemporary female artists were confronted with both external expectations and a strong demand for self-expression. Although opportunities for female art exhibitions were gradually increasing, the pursuit of "not being simply categorized" and the road to equality remained long to reach. She called on academia and the public to pay more attention to the unique perspectives and inner expressions of female creations.
Deng Ke, Wandering Chant, 55 cm long, 54 cm wide, 150 cm high, Bronze, 2024
Liu Hong, Her, 150x130cm, Oil on canvas, 2025.
Zhou Simin, A Short Letter with Deep Feelings, 24 cm × 40 cm × 92 cm, Resin, wood, 2025.
Jiang Jie, Dancer (detail), bronze, 2005. Photo by Kang Lei.
18 Exhibition View of The Ram Ready to Fight and Spring Tide by Yan Ping
Chen Shuxia, Just Words, 20 cm × 23 cm, Oil on canvas, 2019.
Cai Yaling, August 21, 2012, 60x60 cm, Hair, dacron cloth, 2014.
Kang Lei, Paradise The Clamor of Existence (detail), Acrylic, 200×420cm, 2022.
Jie Fang, Complete Silence, H 356 cm x W 150 cm x T 30 cm, Oil on wood, wood tempera, acrylic on canvas, 2020.
Geng Xue, SEVEN-DAY DREAM, 2025. Glass sculpture HD video, variable size.
Shi Ziyuan, Listening to Music Yesterday, Wood, metal, rope, rubber, wool, mechanical devices, variable dimensions, approximately 150×150×30 cm, 2022.
Xu Lian, President of the China Female Artists Association, wrote in the preface to this exhibition, "In the past, female artists were often labeled with stereotypes, and some of their creations were misinterpreted as being limited to private narratives and lacking social engagement." The selected works in "Shape of Myself" did not collectively present a unified image of female creations. Their commonality might lie in their inability and refusal to be simply categorized. These works encompass delicate and broad observations of the world, reflecting their continuous self-transcendence, exploring their own artistic expression through subject matter, medium, materials, figurative and abstract forms, realism and expressionism, among other aspects, and infusing art with activity through their respective working paths that break away from traditional gender stereotypes.
Exhibition View of Shape of Myself: 2026 Nomination Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Female Artists
About the Exhibition
Shape of Myself: 2026 Nomination Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Female Artists
Dates: March 6-15, 2026
Venue: 4th Floor, CAFA Art Museum
Organizer: China Female Artists Association
Co-organizer: CAFA Art Museum
Academic Host: Xu Lian
Curator: Wang Xiaolin
Executive Curators: Kang Lei, Wei Yan
Participating Artists: (sorted by the number of strokes in their Chinese surnames)
Oil Painting Invitational Artists: Yan Ping, Liu Hong, Chen Shuxia, Chen Xi, Kang Lei, Guan Puxue
Oil Painting Nominees: Wang Haiyan, Zhou Yinchen, Jie Fang
Sculpture Invitational Artists: Deng Ke, Zhu Zhiwei, Chi Hao, Zhou Simin, Jiang Jie, Geng Xue
Sculpture Nominees: Liu Rui, Yang Guang, Shi Ziyuan, Chi Di, Luo Jin, Cao Yun, Cai Yaling
Courtesy of China Female Artists Association, edited (EN) by CAFA ART INFO.
