BOUNDED SPACE is honored to announce the group exhibition "North Latitude 41°", which will be presented from May 29 to June 27, 2026. The exhibition is Curator by ImageChaser, Wang Yufeng as the Co Curator.

Foreword

Founded in 1938 as the Lu Xun Academy of Arts in Yan’an, the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts (LAFA) later settled in Shenyang. Rooted in local cultural heritage, it has established a well-grounded academic system of fine arts education centered on solid figurative training.

Its painting pedagogy features progressive studio-based training, with plaster model drawing and life figure sketching as core foundations, laying emphasis on precise proportion, tonal gradation and narrative composition. This rigorous focus on figurative study distinguishes LAFA from other art academies that draw inspiration from French and Western contemporary art trends, or place greater emphasis on traditional Chinese ink painting and conceptual artistic practice.

Interestingly, LAFA’s systematic foundational curriculum and rigorous training often serve as a springboard for artistic experimentation. Armed with solid technical prowess, its alumni break conventional boundaries, pioneer new visual languages, and secure prominent standing in China’s contemporary art scene. A host of renowned artists are graduates of LAFA, which fully demonstrates how rigorous technical training fosters diverse artistic creations.

Centered on four core artists, this exhibition features practitioners all graduated from Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang. They maintain close ties with the academy to this day, holding teaching positions at the main campus or its affiliated art high school.

Over the past decade, I have paid frequent visits to Shenyang, observing the city’s artistic ecosystem and its vibrant academic art community. Local artists in Shenyang and their students have greatly inspired me, drawing me back time and again to this fertile land nurturing outstanding Chinese contemporary art.

The four featured artists are Li Linlin, Wang Shuo, Liu Chao and Wang Yufeng. Two current students from Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, Xu Xinge and Zhi Hai, also participate in this exhibition. It is my sincere hope that this show will help the public gain a deeper insight into Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts.

By ImageChaser