A new exhibition at the Jiushi Art Museum in Shanghai explores modern interpretations of the landscape, a most important subject in Chinese art for centuries.

Held from April 3 to June 2, Mountain Water Wandering features 37 groups of artworks by 12 contemporary Chinese artists, such as Cao Xiaoyang, Jin Jiangbo and Yu Youhan.

From paintings with charcoal, water ink and acrylic, to video, photography and performance art, these artworks continued the motif in ancient Chinese literati art that depicted landscape to express their spiritual pursuit for the sublime and pure. Curator of the exhibition, Jiang Jun of Tongji University, said he wished visitors could have a moment of escape into nature from the hustled life in the modern metropolis.

One of the featured artists, Cao is deputy director of the China Academy of Art, who has been painting landscape for 20 years.

"While sketching from nature, I try to capture the intricate changes and development of everything around me," said the artist. Also, he believed the cycles of nature have guided Chinese people's understanding for life, and inspired infinite creations and experiments.