Between Homelands: The Art and Diasporic Experiences of Three Chinese Women Artists

This survey lecture reviews the creative careers of three Chinese women artists: Sun Duoci (孙多慈, 1912-75), Pan Yuliang (潘玉良, 1895-77), and Lalan (谢景兰, 1921-95). Though employing different media, the selected artists were united by a shared diasporic experience and their professional aspirations to bring Chinese and Western artistic traditions into dialogue. The first half of the lecture will offer a brief overview of Chinese women artists and their artistic practices, before turning in the second half to a closer examination of the three featured artists. Their artistic legacies remain relevant today and continue to inform contemporary artistic practices and conversations. 

This talk is part of the program series accompanying the Rediscover Victoria Yau exhibition.

Sun Duoci 孙多慈 (1913–1975) was a Chinese painter known for her skill in both Western-style painting and Chinese ink painting. She studied at Nanjing’s National Central University under Xu Beihong and became known for her strong drawing and realistic style. After moving to Taiwan in 1949, she taught at Taiwan Provincial Normal University and helped establish the fine arts department at Chinese Culture University, serving as its first chair.

Pan Yuliang 潘玉良 (1895–1977) was a pioneering Chinese painter and sculptor who studied in Shanghai, Lyon, Paris, and Rome. She taught in China before settling in Paris in 1937, where she continued to exhibit her work. Her paintings brought together Chinese brush techniques and European approaches to oil painting, and she became especially known for her portraits and depictions of women.

Lalan (Xie Jinglan 谢景兰, 1921–1995) was a Chinese-born painter, composer, dancer, choreographer, and poet. First known by the nickname Lanlan, she studied music in Hangzhou and Shanghai before moving to France in 1948. There she developed an abstract practice that joined painting with rhythm, movement, and music, drawing on both Chinese and French cultural influences.

About the scholar

Ruoxuan Yuan (she/her) is an art history researcher currently based in Chicago. Her research focuses on Modern and Contemporary East Asian art with an emphasis on interregionalism. Her MA Thesis, “Reception of Mono-ha in Chinese Contemporary Art,” received recognition from the UChicago Center for East Asian Studies. She had previously held curatorial positions at various cultural institutions, including the Fralin Museum of Art and the Institute of Contemporary Art at NYU Shanghai.