Through the Master’s Eye: David Hockney & Wu Guanzhong

In celebration of two landmark milestones, Christie’s is honoured to present Through the Master’s Eye: David Hockney & Wu Guanzhong, commemorating the 40th anniversary of its presence in Asia and the 260th anniversary of its founding. Bringing together two of the 20th century’s most influential artists, the exhibition explores how Eastern and Western artistic traditions intersect to inspire new ways of seeing and using the magic of perspective in landscape. It also marks the first presentation of David Hockney’s work in Asia following his passing in June 2026, and the first exhibition to place his work in direct conversation with that of Wu Guanzhong, revealing striking parallels in their artistic journeys and approaches. 

At the heart of the exhibition and playing as an artistic and source of inspiration and influence bridge between the two artists are two handscrolls by the celebrated Qing dynasty master Wang Hui. Its expansive composition and shifting viewpoints provide a compelling point of departure for understanding Hockney’s engagement with Chinese visual traditions. During his travels to China in 1981 for three weeks Hockney encountered the distinctive spatial logic of Classical Chinese landscape painting, an experience that broadened his understanding of perspective. Wu Guanzhong pursued a parallel yet complementary path. While studying in Paris from 1947 to 1950, he absorbed the lessons of European modernism while remaining deeply rooted in the philosophy and aesthetics of shanshui painting.  

Through these parallel artistic journeys, the exhibition highlights how both Hockney and Wu expanded the possibilities of painting through cross-cultural exchange. Through the Master’s Eye will be on view from 22 to 29 September 2026, inviting audiences to discover how perspective can shift across cultures, mediums, and traditions, transforming not only what we see, but how we see it.