In the postwar era, the People’s Republic of China has had a significant presence in the international socialist movement. This political reality has resulted in the production of numerous propaganda images intended to define China’s position in a racially and ethnically diverse world. This lecture will focus on examining depictions of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement produced in China in the 1960s and explore the complexity of their historical and visual context.

The talk will be live on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. If you are unable to join us live online, the recording will be on our YouTube channel following the program.

This talk is generously supported by the The Walters Art Museum’s Friends of Asian Art group.

About the image:
Jiang Mi 江敉 (1912–1989）
War Drum 战鼓 (1962)
Monochrome woodblock
35.5 cm x 51.0 cm
Credit: Muban Educational Trust

About the Speaker:
Sonja Kelley, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). She teaches classes on the history of Asian art, with a particular focus on China and Japan. Her research primarily explores the visual culture of China in the modern and contemporary periods, considering the interaction of art and politics in the conceptualization of the nation and its citizens. Her current book project examines the work of government-supported printmakers in Sichuan Province in the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to 1966. She is also interested in cross-cultural influences in Chinese visual culture and the treatment of gender, race, and ethnicity in Chinese art.