RCCHC "China and the World: Historical Interactions" Talk Series #23 – A Master of Chinese Art in South America: Zhang Daqian’s Brazilian Years and Their Cultural Repercussions
RCCHC
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Date
10 Nov 2025
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Organiser
RCCHC
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Time
16:45 - 18:00
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Venue
CD302&ZOOM Map
Speaker
Dr Guilherme Gorgulho (Courtesy Professor, University of Campinas, Brazil)
Summary
The lecture will examine the trajectory of the Chinese painter, poet, calligrapher, and collector Zhang Daqian (1899–1983), who, after leaving mainland China in 1949 and residing temporarily in Hong Kong, relocated to South America in 1952. This decision was not incidental but rather the outcome of a constellation of factors, including social and professional networks cultivated in Hong Kong. Following a brief stay in Argentina (1952–1953), Zhang Daqian established a prolific and dynamic presence in Brazil (1954–1973), characterized by solo and group exhibitions, interactions with members of the Chinese diaspora, and sustained visibility in the national press. The Brazilian landscape emerged as a recurrent source of inspiration in his artistic production, while his activities played a decisive role in promoting Chinese art in Brazil, with significant implications for cultural exchange between the two countries.
Keynote Speaker
Dr Guilherme Gorgulho (Courtesy Professor, University of Campinas, Brazil)
Guilherme Gorgulho is a Courtesy Professor in the graduate program at the Laboratory for Advanced Studies in Journalism at the University of Campinas (Unicamp). He holds a B.S. degree in Social Communication (2000), a master’s degree in Scientific and Cultural Communication (2013), and a PhD in Social Sciences at Unicamp (2025), where he has worked as a journalist since 2010. He has been an associate researcher at the Zhang Daqian Research Center at Neijiang Normal University in Sichuan Province since 2017, and worked as associate producer and consultant for the documentary film, titled Of Color and Ink (2023). His research focuses on the history of Chinese art, with a concentration on modern and contemporary painting; and social studies regarding Chinese diasporic artists, especially Zhang Daqian.
