A New, Innovative Exhibition Opens at the Chinese Canadian Museum

More than a year since opening its doors at its permanent space in Vancouver’s Chinatown, the Chinese Canadian Museum has launched a brand new exhibition.

Featuring unique artistic creations by six diverse Chinese Canadian artists from across the country, Reshaping Collections: Where History Meets Art runs from its opening last month on Sept. 25 to Sept. 28, 2025.

The artists — Morris Lum, Karen Tam, Howie Tsui, Chih-Chien Wang, Janet Wang and Stella Zheng — were commissioned by the museum to reinterpret historical and cultural objects and materials that explore Canadian identity from the renowned Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection at the University of British Columbia.

From there, creativity came to life. Over several months, the artists explored various forms of art and visual media. They were equipped with 3D scanning technology to research and replicate select objects from the more than 25,000 rare and unique historical items from the Chung Collection at UBC Rare Books and Special Collections.

From photography to art installation, illustration to Penjing rock sculpture, this new museum exhibition includes a broad range of objects and materials.

“We were inspired to leverage the latest 3D scanning technology in our new Poy Family Gallery exhibition to reshape and modernize the way we utilize and access historical collections,” said Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum. “We are the first museum to use this 3D scanning technology to document the Chung Collection at UBC Library. We invited these six Chinese Canadian artists to support their inspiration and creativity, while connecting with Canadian history and identity.”

The exhibition also features animation, film and child-friendly wall text along with illustrated activities made exclusively for the exhibition.

With 2024 marking the 25th anniversary of the UBC Chung Collection, the Chinese Canadian Museum pays homage to the historically significant collection through this new exhibition. The exhibition launch also coincides with the opening of the new Chung | Lind Gallery at UBC earlier this year.

The previous Odysseys and Migration exhibition in the Poy Family Gallery will be travelling to the Royal BC Museum in Victoria beginning in February 2025.

Visitors can still enjoy the Chinese Canadian Museum’s permanent exhibition, Period Rooms: The Living Room and School Room, and, until December, the museum’s main exhibition, The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act.

The museum is also undergoing renovations in various areas of its building that are inaccessible to the public as part of its multi-year renewal project focused on revitalizing and upgrading more than 21,000 square feet of building space, including expanding the amount of exhibition and programming area to house future permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Officially opened July 1, 2023, the Chinese Canadian Museum aspires to provide an invigorating and transformative experience for present and future generations through its exhibitions and educational programming throughout B.C. and Canada. For more exhibitions and programs, visit the Chinese Canadian Museum website.