Research Question : How does asian art correlate with political events in asian history?
- Mansu Grand Monument
Creator : Mansudae Art Studio Material/medium : bronze size : 22 meters, 72 ft period/date : 1972 (Kim II Sung Statue) 2012 (Kim Jong II Statue) culture : Korean repository : N/A provenance : North Korea source/credit : Wikipedia
- The People March Under the Banner of Chairman Mao
The People’s March shows how artwork played an important role during Cultural Revolution which occurred in China from 1966 until the death of Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong in 1976. During the Cultural Revolution, which fought for pure Communism and against capitalistic sentiments, Mao continuously urged that artists in China be involved with the political issues that were going on in China at the time. In the image we see the Chinese people’s admiration for Mao by showing a picture of the Chairman as they “fight the good fight” for their leader.
Title : The People Marchu Under the Banner of Chairman Mao
Creator : Jin Zhilin
Material/material : watercolor and charcoal
Size : 10 ⅛ x 19 ⅛
Culture : Chinese
Provenance : China
period/date : 1972
source/credit : Kennedy Center
- Mao Zedong Thought
Following the China’ Communist Party’s takeover of the country of China in 1949, Chairman Mao decided that he wanted to exemplify teachings of Karl Marx, the founder of Communism and Vladimir Lenin, of the Soviet Union and bring there teachings into China. Mao’s goal of the China’s Communist Party was to bring about a social revolution in China which ended up being successful amidst the Cultural Revolution in the late 60’s.
This image shows a young Mao Zedong reading teachings of either Marx and Lenin with an image of the German philosopher Marx and Soviet leaders glooming in the background.
Strengthen the study of Marxism-Leninism Mao Zedong Thought, ca. 1951
Maoism : a doctrine to capture State power through a combination of an armed revolution, mobilization of troops, and strategic alliances.
Title : Mao Zedong Thought
Creator : Gu Bingxin
Size : 77 x 53.5 cm
Date : 1951
Source : https://chineseposters.net/posters/pc-195a-005
Author : Huanqiu heji huapian chubanshe
- Japanese Generals and the Surrender of their Enemies
Title : Meeting of General Yamashita and Percival
Creator : Saburo Miyamoto
Material/medium : oil on canvas
Source/Credit : momat.go
Size : 180.7 x 222.5 cm
Culture : Japanese
Provenance : Japan
Period/date : 1942
Depicted Japan’s victory over its enemy England during the Second World War. Militarism in Japan symbolized dominance. Because of that, military strength was proportional to societal strength. In order to strengthen the country, the Japanese decided to show how dominant their country was by making an enemy unconditionally surrender to them as supposed to depicting an image of them as the people who lost.
- Manchukuo
The Manchukuo propaganda poster of 1935 depicting three countries, the Japanese, the Chinese and the Manchukuo people during the Sino-Japanese war, shows how despite the tensions between them, they can still find a way to come together to promote peace. The words in Japanese write, : “With the help of Japan, China, and Manchukuo, the world can be in peace.”
The flags from left to right, the Manchukuo flag, the Japanese flag, and the Five Races Under One Union flag.
Propaganda Poster of Manchukuo | ChinaFile
Title : Manchukuo : Puppet State of Japan that entered North China from 1932 until 1945.
Creator : Unknown
Size : 30.25 x 20.75
Date : 1935
Source : https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/gabinetpostal/manxukuo-limperi-pu-yi/manchukuo/
Author : Japanese Government
Timeline
Manchukuo
Japanese Generals and the Surrender of their enemies
Mao Zedong Thought
The People March Under the Banner of Chairman Mao
The Mansu Grand Monument
Propaganda Poster of Manchukuo | ChinaFile
1935 1942 1951 1972 1972This project responds to the core question of what is asian art because asian art shows the history of art in asia through different cultures, religions, and different areas of asia.
The Chinese and Japanese art propaganda posters though it conveys an asian historical message, explains how art is an important aspect of important events in asian history such as the the Sino-Japanese War, World War II, and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China which can also simply be known as the rise of Mao Zedong.
CitationsChoi Shine “The Art of Monument Politics : The North Korean State, Juche and International Politics Asian Studies Review 1 September 2021
Zhilin Jin “Art and Politics and Mao’s China” Kennedy Center Bridges Alumni Center Accessed 6 March 2024
Melissa Chiu and Zheng Shengtian, Art and China’s Revolution (New York: Asia Society, 2008).
Elizabeth J. Perry, Anyuan Mining China’s Revolutionary Tradition (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012).
Chineseposters.net Accessed 7 May 2024
Chapman University Accessed 7 May 2024
