Affirming Their Roles: An All-Women Art Society in 1930s Shanghai

The Chinese Women’s Society of Calligraphy and Painting (1934–ca.1948) was established in Shanghai by and for women artists engaged in Chinese-style painting and calligraphy. It was founded by a group of women who believed that the founding of such an organization represented a pivotal step in the affirmation of female artists’ competence and contributions to the art world, as well as to society at large. Functioning as an agent and channel for the dissemination of women artists’ work through group exhibitions, the organization also facilitated the emergence of public roles for women—an increasingly important aspect of women’s life in Chinese society. With over 200 members, its founding marked a critical moment in the ongoing process of women taking up professional roles in the field of arts and crafts. Furthermore, the organization was established at the beginning of Japanese military aggression in China in the early 1930s. As one of the largest women’s organizations in Shanghai at the time, its members not only donated artworks to charity sales, they also actively procured provisions for soldiers, and civilians who suffered as a result of the war. Based on the group’s activities, the establishment of the Women’s Society was driven in part by a patriotic concern for national survival. At a time of national peril, these activities further underlined the status of women artists as valuable female citizens.