After Su Shi

ABSTRACT This article offers an introduction to ‘After Su Shi’, a special issue of Journal of Visual Art Practice, which focuses on the art practice of China’s revered poet, calligrapher and stateman, Su Shi (1037–1101). The article situates the work of Su Shi specifically within the context of Hainan, the southern island of China where Su Shi was exiled near the end of his life. Some of his most famous poetry was written during this period and subsequently his identification with Hainan has long endured. Key heritage sites are referenced in this article, and, combined with an overview of the collected papers of the special issue as well as Hainan’s recent new status as free port, this introduction sets out both a historical and contemporary view of Su Shi. It elucidates his far-reaching influence but also contemporary ‘currency’, suggesting of what might come after Su Shi, both in this image, but also akin to his free-spirited belief in the arts.