Our History
The history of the CAFA Art Museum can be traced back to the early 1950s. Originally called the Central Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, it was located on Wangfujing, Beijing. Designed by the noted architect Zhang Kaiji, the Gallery was the first professional art museum built after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. In 1998, the Gallery changed its name to the CAFA Art Museum. In October 2008, the museum moved to the No. 8 Huajiadi South Street in Beijing’s Chaoyang District, with a new building designed by the noted Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. In the end of 2010, the CAFA Art Museum was selected to be one of the firsts to be listed as the Key National Museums. Past museum directors include Dong Xiwen, Yang Yun, Sun Zixi, Jiao Kequn, Wang Xiao, Tang Pei, Pan Gongkai, and Wang Huangsheng. The current director is Zhang Zikang.