ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an overview of the complex historical background for contemporary artists’ self-identification as literati. It deals with interview material, and highlights how contemporary Chinese creatives navigate an increasingly globalized intellectual and artistic landscape. The traditional Chinese view of artists as literati stems from longstanding, interconnected notions of literacy, education, and civilization. The Ofoto respondents were singled out by virtue of their knowledge of the literati topic as well as their strong personal sense of Chinese identity, qualities confirmed by their Shanghai photographer peers. Delving into the literati sensibility of some of Ofoto’s artists can enable one to develop a better understanding of the complex interplay of different artistic outlooks as they pertain in contemporary China. An important aspect of the Chinese creative industries is the way in which the government directs activity towards officially designated clusters. The chapter also deals with the interview material, highlighting how contemporary Chinese creatives navigate an increasingly globalized intellectual and artistic landscape.
