Shanshui Magazine aims to give voice to contemporary Chinese and non-Chinese scholars and artists. Its purpose is to build a cultural bridge between two great traditions, fostering a rich and meaningful dialogue on Chinese painting and its resonance in the contemporary world.

Chinese mountain and water painting is one of the main artistic expressions in China, characterized by more than 1500 years of evolution and revolutions, and has found a new golden age of creativity and expression in the contemporary times.

Through essays, interviews, artistic projects, and visual interventions, Shanshui Magazine introduces modern and contemporary artists, theories of Chinese and ink painting, and perspectives from environmental and ecological aesthetics. Our goal is to make these ideas accessible to a wide audience — from dedicated scholars to independent thinkers interested in the intersections of art, nature, and philosophy.

The magazine thrives on the contributions of artists, writers, curators, and researchers from around the world. Each issue brings together diverse voices whose reflections explore the dynamic relationship between tradition and contemporaneity, East and West, humanity and landscape.

We believe that artistic expression can have a transformative effect on our lives — helping us move beyond certain limits unconsciously imposed by Western culture regarding the notions of reality, existence, and our place within the world. Every cultural system has found a way to respond to these fundamental questions, yet each answer differs; art remains one of the most profound expressions through which these diverse visions can meet and resonate.

Peer Review & Editorial Vision

Shanshui Magazine adopts a selective peer review process rooted in dialogue rather than judgment. Each submission is carefully evaluated by the editorial team and external advisors according to its conceptual depth, artistic integrity, and contribution to the cross-cultural understanding of landscape and aesthetics.

Rather than following a strictly academic model, Shanshui embraces an artistic–curatorial approach that values the process of exchange, reflection, and experimentation. Authors and artists are encouraged to present works and essays that bridge traditional Chinese aesthetics and contemporary global thought, highlighting the evolving relationship between humanity and nature, theory and practice, vision and spirit.

Our review process aims to sustain a space where theory and art can coexist and resonate — where   山水 (Shanshui) becomes both a landscape and a philosophy of balance.