Eight years after its parade in Beijing, the Reform Mission: Guangdong Art Centennial Exhibition Hong Kong is poised for a spectacular run starting Thursday, with over 160 exquisite Lingnan paintings, woodcuts and other artworks, headlined by 72 heritage-class pieces.

Housed in a museum-style venue set up at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, art analysts have described the exhibition as a “landmark accomplishment” that underscores the collaborative curation prowess of Guangdong province and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The exhibition, which is slated to run through June 2, features works from the Lingnan School of artists such as pioneering brothers Gao Jianfu and Gao Qifeng, alongside second-generation figures Guan Shanyue and Li Xiongcai.

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Hong Kong is considered an obvious choice as host amid deepening cultural ties in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) — evident in thriving cross-border arts exchanges, collaborations, and recognition of shared cultural roots, Li Jinkun, chairman of the Guangdong Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the exhibition’s curatorial consultant, told a media reception on Wednesday.

Li said the event is part of a broad effort across art circles in the region to harness Hong Kong’s position as an international cultural exchange hub for greater global outreach, buoyed by the city’s robust international communications know-how and global influence.

With seven sections covering themes from the “western painting movement” in the early 20th century, to the establishment of the Lingnan School, and present-day artistic innovations, the exhibition is looking to deliver a panoramic, immersive experience to Hong Kong art enthusiasts who hope to learn about the region’s significance within China’s art landscape, said Lin Lan, vice-president of the China Artists Association.

Guangdong province — which is home to many foreign-educated artists — has played a pivotal role in driving the country’s artistic, cultural, and social transformations, defined by its strong anchor in Chinese traditions and willingness to embrace modernity and diversity, Lin added.

This is shown by the Lingnan School art movement, with works by the pioneering Gao brothers a major part of the exhibition.

Emerging as a force in the early 20th century, the school — which is named after the present-day Guangdong and Hainan provinces, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and the Hong Kong and Macao SARs — has since elicited lavish praise for the way it has revived traditional Chinese ink painting with a fresh infusion of Western artistic crafts and styles.

The exhibition offers a captivating glimpse into Guangdong’s dynamic arts scene, Li said. “We hope it can prompt Hong Kong’s audiences to further explore Guangdong’s art museums to witness the full breadth of the region’s artistic richness.”

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The exhibition features a chapter dedicated to tracing the wartime national struggle and salvation through iconic woodcuts, as a drumroll for the 80th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com