Beyond the Boulevard: Chinese Bohemian Artists in 20th-Century Paris

Come to explore how Chinese artists in Europe redefined modern Chinese identity and shaped 20th-century visual culture.

Date: 30 April 2026 (Thursday) 

Time: 6:30 – 7:30 pm HK time 

Venue: Room FJ301, 3/F, Core F, PolyU campus (Click here for our campus map) 

Speaker: Sandy Ng, Assistant Professor in the School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Organised by: Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 

Limited quota. Seats will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis

About the Talk 

In the early 20th century, Paris served as the crucible for a modern Chinese cultural renaissance. This lecture, presented in conjunction with the performance of Scènes de la vie de Bohème, explores the transformative within the broader Chinese cultural diaspora—including writers and musicians—the lecture illustrates how the Bohemian experience of love, loss, and displacement in Europe shaped the trajectory of 20th-century visual culture. Attendees will gain deep insight into the enduring legacy of this pioneering generation. 

About the Speaker 

Sandy Ng is an Assistant Professor in the School of Design at HK PolyU. Specializing in 20th-century Chinese art, visual culture, and gender studies, her research explores the intersection of design history and female identity. She is the author of “Portrayals of Women in Early Twentieth-Century China: Redefining Female Identity through Modern Design and Lifestyle” (Amsterdam University Press, 2024). Additionally, she edited “The Dynamics of Modern Asian Design: Material Culture and Social Agency” (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025). Her work critically examines how modern aesthetic sensibilities and cross-cultural exchanges have shaped the visual narratives and social transformations of modern China.

Registration

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