The River Divides, the World Connects

Liu Xiaodong’s Retrospective Opens Nov 25 at Taikang Art Museum!
The large-scale retrospective The River Divides, the World Connects (河东，河西) by pioneering Chinese New Realist painter Liu Xiaodong will open on November 25 at Taikang Art Museum, Beijing. The exhibition brings together more than sixty original works created from the late 1970s to 2025, offering a heartfelt reflection on the artist’s forty-year journey in painting.
The River Divides, the World Connects (河东，河西) is not only a geographical orientation but also a map of Liu Xiaodong’s inner world. He paints the streets of his hometown, the faces of friends, and the landscapes of the wider world. From homeland to afar, Liu uses his brush to record the warmth of an era—revealing his companionship, dialogue, and confession with the world.
The “River” in the exhibition title refers to the Daling River (大凌河) in Liu’s hometown of Jincheng, Liaoning Province. This river divides his hometown into the East and the West—the “East of the River” symbolizes his roots and sense of self, while the “West of the River” represents the broader world he has encountered as an adult, encompassing both social realities and the geopolitical “West.”

Liu Xiaodong: The River Divides, the World Connects
Duration: Nov 25, 2025 – Mar 31, 2026
Time: Tue–Sun, 10:00–17:30
Address: Taikang Art Museum (TAM), 1–2F, Taikang Group Building, Beijing CBD
Preview: From November 16 to 21, Taikang Art Museum will offer preview viewings. Please email info@tam.org.cn for appointment details.