Fleeting, Fleeting Light—Imagery of Time in Chinese Art

Exhibition Description


Time concepts take on different forms across various cultures. Reflections on time were never abstract alone, but tied to visions of the universe—and these ideas found visual expression in the arts.


The exhibition Fleeting, Fleeting Light—Imagery of Time in Chinese Art is curated by the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries at Lingnan University, and generously supported by loans of twenty-four precious antiquities and contemporary works from Chamber of Young Snow. The exhibition begins with ink paintings, porcelain, lacquer, and jade from the late Yuan (1271–1368) to the modern era, unfolding imagery of the seasons, landscapes, immortal realms, and the space. Through them, we glimpse how the Chinese conception of time was shaped, and how, when embodied in art, time became a vessel for feeling.