The Cleveland Museum of Art presents Landscapes by Arnold Chang: A Retrospective and Recent Acquisitions, a sweeping exhibition marking the artistic practices of Chinese-American ink painter Arnold Chang. Spanning his early influences to groundbreaking contemporary works that blend traditional ink techniques with color and photography, the show features 18 exceptional pieces by Chang, plus the CMA’s Number 5 (1950) by Jackson Pollock. This exhibition highlights the dynamic fusion of tradition and modernity in Chang’s art. The show opens on March 8th and continues through November 9th, 2025.
Among the highlights of the exhibition, three standout works provide compelling insights into Chang’s artistic synthesis of traditions with a modern perspective.
Secluded Valley in the Cold Mountains, 2008. Arnold Chang
Recently acquired by the CMA, Secluded Valley in the Cold Mountains (2008) embodies Chang’s transformative engagement with abstract expressionism, particularly his response to Pollock’s Number 10. The handscroll begins with serene trees and distant clouds, then explodes into a profusion of lines radiating outward from the rocky mass into space. The darting lines and washes coalesce into mountain forms, balancing spontaneity with control. Chang mirrors the structural rhythm of Number 10’s central black strokes, yet anchors the composition in classical shanshui (“landscape painting”) aesthetics.
Displayed alongside Number 5 (1950) in the gallery, this pairing provides viewers with an exceptional immersive experience, enabling direct side-by-side comparison of contrasting brushwork–Chang’s dynamic yet structured strokes with Pollock’s unrestrained gestural splatters.
Angles #2, 2020
Arnold Chang (American, b. 1954), Michael Cherney (American, b. 1969)
Angles #2 (2020), a collaborative work, by Arnold Chang and Michael Cherney, was acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art from FQM after being featured in our 2022 exhibition Ink Affinities. Created during a pivotal moment in the artist’s exploration of ink’s spatial and philosophical dimensions, the piece exemplifies Chang’s interplay between traditional brushwork and abstract composition. Neither a traditional photograph nor a conventional painting, this collaborative work is a cross-media dialogue between two artists. Rooted in the classical aesthetics of Chinese landscape art, it simultaneously challenges contemporary perceptions of shuimo (“ink painting”), inviting the audience to reconsider its boundaries.
Artist Arnold Chang was painting the Mapping the Universe
Another noteworthy highlight is the inaugural exhibition of Mapping the Universe (2024), a piece that took the artist more than ten years to complete. Measuring an impressive 195 1/2 x 75 1/2 in, the artwork is the largest he has ever created.
On view from March 8 to November 9, 2025, the exhibition is free and open to the public in 240A Clara T. Rankin Suite of Chinese Art Galleries. We warmly invite everyone to explore Chang’s journey from his roots in traditional literati ink painting to his experiments with diverse artistic languages. Witness how he employs ink as a bridge, seeking resonance with traditional landscapes through contemporary forms such as abstract expressionism and photography.
