Northwest vision

The 1980s and '90s saw an eruption of artworks depicting the landscapes and social lives of Northwest China with Duan Zhengqu as one of its pioneers. Rejecting conventional figurative brushwork, he explored an experimental style to praise the majestic Loess Plateau and the resilient, optimistic people who endure its harshness.

Duan's ongoing exhibition at Tsinghua University Art Museum until Oct 15, Stories of the Northwest, shows how he has been digging deep in this motif, now a hallmark of his art, over four decades. Raised in rural Henan province, Duan is no stranger to the vast countryside and village life in the Northwest. As his experiences and vision grew, his portrayals found more perspectives to depict the area, more exaggerated, even surreal.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. Tsinghua University, Haidian district, Beijing. 010-6278-1012.