In the summer of 2009, Richard Ross, associate professor of design, and Lin Xia Jiang, professor of fine arts, traveled to four Chinese provinces (Xinjiang, Tibet, Sichuan and Henan) to collect folk art and interview native artists.

An exhibition of works gathered during these travels will be on view November 2-12 at the Czurles-Nelson Gallery in Upton Hall. An opening reception will be held Thursday,  November 4, at 5:00 p.m.

Their travels took them into the ancient markets of Lhasa, villages and towns in Henan, earthquake refugee camps in Sichuan and Uzbek yurts in Xinjiang. The collection of specimens from their journey includes hundreds of Chinese New Year’s poster prints (some made from woodblocks dating back to the late Qing dynasty in Henan, Mianzhu, and Tianjin), Tibetan Thangka paintings and woodcarvings, and tapestries from the Tajik people in Xinjiang.

In addition to these unique cultural artifacts, the exhibition features photos of the indigenous people and landscapes that provide a context for understanding and appreciating these vanishing artistic traditions. 

The exhibition documents a research project sponsored by the Research Foundation, University College, and Center for China Studies.