值得学习Statement of Academic Purpose.doc

Statement of Academic Purpose Three years ago, when returning to China after my graduate study in curatorial studies at Bard College, which exposed me to a fascinating world of contemporary art history and criticism, I determined to come back to the United States for my Ph.D. sometime soon. The decision has once again been confirmed after two more years working in China as a curator and critic. This is why I am now applying for Ph.D. studies in the prestigious Art History Department at the University of Chicago. My dedication to art burgeons in my childhood reverie of becoming an artist. Born into a traditional intellectual family, my inborn interest in painting was highly encouraged and well fostered. My grandfather taught me ink painting and calligraphy, opening the door of traditional art. At teenage I was enrolled in an art training program at the Beijing Children Activity Center, where I was trained in such Western art-making basics as drawing, sketching, gauche, and still-life. Meanwhile, I developed wide interests in history, philosophy, literature, and writing. I selected the Museum Studies Program in History Department at Nankai University based in Tianjing, hoping to build up my career in China’s art museum. Upon graduation in 1988, backed by my good performance, I obtained a position at China Art Gallery, the only nation-grade modern art museum in China, during which I conducted a three-year investigation of folk art nationwide. This unique experience equipped me with an exceptional dimension for reflecting art, especially, when I was witnessing the Chinese Avant-garde Movement reaching its dramatic heydays in late 1980s. As a result, the movement increasingly occupied my attention, therefore I involved in the Graduate Program at China Art Academy, the leading art institute in China, concentrating on modern Chinese art history, under the guidance of Prof. Shui Tianzhong, who was then the director of the institution. As soon as finishing the MA program