Asian Arts and Society Journal

Global Context, Self-Awakening and Contemporary Reinvention Chinese Lacquer Painting and the Asian Lacquer Culture Circle

Hui Jin — 2025-06-30

Judging from the perspective of globalization, lacquer is a unique material culture form in Asia, and also one of the most important art media. in the early 20th century, under the background of Art Deco movement and French colonialism, the lacquer culture formed the phenomenon of return and gave birth to the Vietnamese lacquer painting, which indirectly contributed to the formation of the Chinese lacquer painting in the modern sense. Therefore, judging from the historical perspective, the birth of lacquer painting has a globalized background. From the perspective of art history, in the course of nearly a century, Chinese lacquer painting has gone through three stages of development, from germination and popularization to development and reflection, to the formation of cultural self-awakening, which can be called the “triple stage”, and finally completed its own construction, presenting a prosperous appearance in the contemporary era. Thinking from the level of contemporary culture, with the Asian countries’ re-cognition of traditional lacquer culture, the new form of Asian lacquer culture circle is gradually coming to the fore, in this process, Chinese lacquer painting actively participates in and in a sense leads the reconstruction of the contemporary Asian lacquer culture circle, and the awakening of Chinese lacquer painting represents the systematic revival of oriental culture and aesthetics in contemporary Asia. Therefore, through the background of cultural return, the contemporary situation of triple steps and self-awakening, and the mission of reconstructing the Asian lacquer culture circle, that is, the three nodes of the past, the present and the future, this paper points out that the development of Chinese lacquer painting is not only a matter of art itself, but also of great significance in reconstructing the contemporary global art discourse.

What is contemporary? Art in the Age of the Internet, Amnesia, and the Anthropocene

Evander Price — 2025-06-30

What defines good contemporary art is a hotly debated question. This article argues that contemporary art is fundamentally defined by a superabundance of information: data upon data upon neverending data. The contemporary artist no longer needs to create anything new, there is already so many ideas, so much information, that the problem is a matter of the re-presentation of the ideas that have already been had, the information that has already been collected, the knowledge that has already been known, to the audiences that need to be exposed to that information at the right time. The role of the contemporary artist is closer, then, to the librarian or the curator, a figure who contect audiences to the resources they need, even if the audiences don't necessarily know it yet.

Exploring the Sustainable Management of Chinese Drama Creation from the Perspective of New Media

Xiaoqing Yan — 2025-06-30

With the rapid development of information technology, new media has become the main channel for information dissemination in contemporary society, profoundly influencing various aspects of the cultural and artistic fields, including the creation and dissemination of drama. The rise of new media has provided a broader communication platform and richer creative resources for drama creation, but at the same time, it has also brought many problems. This article takes the sustainable management of Chinese drama creation from the perspective of new media as the research object, deeply explores the challenges and opportunities faced by drama creation in the new media environment, and proposes sustainable management strategies such as technological innovation, content innovation, market expansion, and talent cultivation. Through this study, the aim is to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the development of drama creation in the new media environment, help drama creators maintain their creative enthusiasm in the new media era, improve the quality of their works, and achieve sustainable development. The rapid development of new media technology has not only changed the dissemination methods of traditional drama, but also promoted the innovation of creative forms. The application of technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality has injected new vitality into drama creation, while also placing higher demands on the artistic expression of traditional drama. In addition, the promotion of drama on new media platforms is facing problems such as content homogenization and insufficient copyright protection, and it is urgent to establish an effective management mechanism. In the future, drama creation needs to further integrate new media technologies, explore cross media narrative modes, and strengthen industry standards and talent cultivation to adapt to the market demand of the digital age and achieve the coordinated development of art and technology.

A Study on Naxi Life Education and Wisdom in Lijiang, China

Hongyi Pan — 2025-06-30

Currently, life education has become a crucial component in fostering the healthy development of young people, fulfilling their spiritual and cultural needs, and enhancing their quality of life. In China, the Naxi ethnic group’s approach to life education encompasses practices that hold significant research value for promoting life education. This paper employs methods such as literature review and field research to conduct an in-depth analysis of Naxi life education. It examines the value and significance of Naxi life education and wisdom, offering insights and implications for the educational field.

Beuys and the Beast: Symbolic Conflict in Human-Animal Performance

Xiao Huang — 2025-06-30

The relationship between humans and animals, as depicted in works of art, presents a compelling avenue for exploration, particularly in the context of today's increasingly critical ecological crisis. Art can serve as a potent medium for encouraging reflection on the spiritual significance of animals and for fostering a more harmonious relationship between humans and non-human creatures. In this regard, specific animals, within particular cultural contexts, can symbolize not only their species but also embody the unique values, identities, and civilizations that emerge from human interactions with them. When an artist selects a particular animal as the focal point of their creative endeavor, this choice is rarely arbitrary; it is often imbued with layers of profound symbolic meaning, reflecting complex cultural, historical, and ecological narratives. A notable example of this is found in the works of Joseph Beuys, whose performance art frequently incorporated animals as key elements. Beuys’s use of animals transcends mere symbolism; it delves into the realm of contrasting and often conflicting symbolic elements, wherein the animal subjects evoke both ancient traditions—such as folk customs, mythologies, and witchcraft—and confrontations with dark historical realities and absurdities of modern existence. Through his art, Beuys explores the tension between the idealized, spiritualized representations of animals and the brutal, often unsettling realities that humans impose upon them. This duality reflects the broader symbolic conflict between nature and civilization, innocence and violence, tradition and modernity, thereby offering a poignant commentary on the fractured relationship between humans and the natural world. In doing so, Beuys’s work challenges the viewer to reconsider the ethical and spiritual dimensions of humanity's interaction with animals, while also highlighting the urgent need for ecological and cultural reconciliation.

Under the Threshold of AIGC: The Influence of Qinling Traditional National Costume Culture on Children's Aesthetic Education

Yu Su — 2025-06-30

With the development of science and technology, art classroom teaching has moved from the traditional classroom blackboard demonstration to a new era of intelligence. In the children's teaching environment, the selection of students' art image samples has changed from the traditional pattern style of learning in books to the dynamic image display under the influence of AIGC science and technology. Through animations, micro-lessons, dynamic comments, and graphic story plot deduction, students' perspective can be enhanced to develop students' perception and understanding of culture, foster students' love for traditional Chinese national costume culture, enhance national self-confidence and pride, and further promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese costume culture. Therefore, under the influence of AIGC science and technology, this paper takes Qinling traditional national dress culture as the research point to study and discuss the influence of children's aesthetic education.