Major Picasso show in China charts his development as an artist – and how he came into his own
- Exhibition at UCCA in Beijing of 103 works from the National Picasso Museum in Paris will show Chinese people what makes the artist great, its director says
- Different sections illustrate his upbringing, the development of his style, experiments, how he gave birth to cubism, and more
More than 100 works by Pablo Picasso will go on show in an exhibition billed as the most significant display of the Spanish artist’s work to take place in China.
“Picasso – Birth of a Genius” at the UCCA Centre for Contemporary Art in Beijing will feature 103 works, including paintings, sculptures and paper drawings. All the exhibits are on loan from the collection of the Musée National Picasso-Paris.
According to UCCA director and chief executive Philip Tinari, while many people in China have heard of Picasso, they do not know what makes the artist great.
“[The show] is basically how Picasso became Picasso,” he says. “The story is relevant to the public [in China] because so many people in China right now are thinking about creativity and innovation. A lot of parents want their kids to become great. It’s a story that everyone can relate to because it’s a story about a talent finding his way through the world and coming into his own.”
Curated by Emilia Philippot, head of collections at Musée National Picasso-Paris, Picasso – Birth of a Genius focuses on works the Spanish artist created between 1893, when he was still an adolescent, and 1921.