Mu Ke. Time and Space

The Moscow Museum of Modern Art, in collaboration with the International Art Institute at Harbin Normal University, presents "Time and Space," an exhibition by contemporary Chinese artist Mu Ke. The exhibition explores how painting becomes a means of understanding time, space, and the meeting of two cultural traditions.

Having received a classical art education in China and then gained experience at the Surikov Moscow State Academic Art Institute, Mu Ke developed his own method based on contemplation and careful exploration of the world through color and form. Synthesizing two familiar cultural systems — Russian and Chinese — the artist creates his own language, in which the Eastern philosophy of balance finds harmony with the European school of composition and color.

Mu Ke’s paintings combine recognizable natural motifs with elements of abstraction, transforming landscapes into a contemplative space for reflection on time, space, and the human condition. His canvases reveal how the image of nature becomes not simply an object of observation, but a form of meditation — an attempt to capture the movement of the world beyond the visible. The artist consistently explores the possibilities of color and rhythm, achieving philosophical composure and emotional depth in his paintings.

The exhibition is complemented by works by faculty members of the International Art Institute at Harbin Normal University, where Mu Ke serves as director. The artists working under Mu Ke represent a wide range of contemporary Chinese art movements. Their works demonstrate how traditional principles of Chinese painting continue to evolve within the context of today’s artistic process. Themes explored include reflections on social issues, the theme of labor, aspects of spirituality, and the dialectic of old and new within the context of history.

The exhibition will also include works from the MMOMA collection that resonate with paintings by Chinese artists, creating a space for dialogue between the two cultures and artistic systems. Works by Ivan Chuikov, Tatyana Nazarenko, Nikolai Andronov, Filipp Dontsov, Boris Mikhailov, and other artists fit into the stylistic and thematic range of the exhibition’s sections.

Mu Ke (1981) received his art education in China at Nanjing Normal University (majoring in oil painting) and worked as a teacher. In 2013, he came to Russia to learn the creative experience and foundations of the Russian painting school at the Surikov Moscow State Art Institute. There, he established contacts with like-minded Russian teachers and artists. Today, Mu Ke is an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts and the director of the International Art Institute at Harbin Normal University. He has been awarded diplomas and medals in his home country and in Russia.

The International Art Institute of Harbin Normal University is an international educational institution established within the framework of the national "One Belt, One Road" strategy. The Institute is the only Chinese-Russian art education institution accredited by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China in 2018, as well as the first Chinese-foreign joint art institution in Heilongjiang Province. The Institute closely collaborates with the Surikov Moscow State Academic Art Institute, implementing a joint student training program in three professional fields: painting, graphics, and sculpture. The Institute also houses an influential ice and snow sculpture studio and a research group studying ice and snow. In 2024, the Institute initiated the establishment of the "Chinese-Russian Art Union," which brought together 52 Chinese and 14 Russian institutions, contributing to the deepening of exchanges and expansion of cooperation between China and Russia in culture, art, education, and scientific research.