Century Masters Season 1

Zhang Daqian was, one of the 20th century’s most celebrated painters. Revered for his mastery of traditional Chinese techniques, his work drew comparisons to Picasso. Yet his skill ran so deep he became a legendary forger, with works said to hang in major galleries as ancient masterpieces. Living in exile, his art never lost sight of China.

Western audiences have often struggled to understand Peking Opera, particularly its tradition of male performers portraying female roles. Mei Lanfang rose to international fame as a master Dan actor, specialising in female characters. Far from preserving a static art form, he revitalised it — modernising performance style, refining training methods and reshaping Peking Opera for the 20th century and beyond

This episode of Century Masters profiles Liu Tianhua, the visionary musician who transformed the erhu by integrating it into Western-style orchestras. Redesigning the instrument and composing a new repertoire, he forged a bold synthesis of tradition and modernity creating a distinctly Chinese form of classical music during a time of profound cultural change.

This episode of Century Masters explores Liu Haisu’s extraordinary legacy. At 17, he founded China’s first Modern art school, introducing radical ideas such as coeducation and life drawing with models. A defining figure of 20th-century art, he continued painting for decades, with Huangshan Mountain becoming the enduring inspiration behind his most celebrated works.

This episode of Century Masters profiles Xu Beihong, hailed as the father of modern Chinese painting. Renowned for monumental works that redefined artistic themes, he urged artists to reflect a changing nation. A master of oil painting, ink, calligraphy and poetry, he championed Western realism while shaping generations through his pioneering role in art education.

In early 20th-century China, Peking Opera singers were often dismissed and poorly regarded. From this unlikely world emerged Cheng Yanqiu, who began training simply to support his struggling family. He would become one of the greatest Dan performers, transforming the art form with poetic musicality while fighting for performers’ dignity-later refusing to sing under Japanese occupation during World War II.