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不管黑猫白猫，捉到老鼠就是好猫.

It doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white; it’s a good cat as long as it catches mice.

Deng Xiaoping(1904-1997) 邓小平  1986

Mao’s death in 1976 set off a wave of major changes in China. His successor, Deng Xiaoping, promoted economic reform. Deng’s famous quote, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice,” uses metaphor to express his intent to achieve progress for China using any means necessary. Images of Lei Feng, Communist China’s model soldier, and posters of soldiers on guard reveal China’s enduring value of military strength. However, this era also saw the return of a more open, pre-Cultural Revolution atmosphere, allowing for creativity, self-expression and cultural commentary in the public sphere. Regionally, artists were developing their own styles, many influenced by newly discovered mid-20th century Western prints. Three prints from Inner Mongolia highlight how some artists combined traditional techniques with radically new subject matter, creating a synthesis of past and present.

“Spring in Dazhai” Offset print, ca. 1971	Two Poems by Mao Zedong Offset print, 1976	Friendship First Offset print, 1972
“The Old Party Secretary”  Offset print, 1974	Ode to Yan’an Qian Songyan 钱松嵒 (1898-1985) Offset print, 1971	Deng Xiaoping Chen Qijiang and Zhou Congkai Offset print, n.d.
“I’ve endured hardship, so that a billion people could prosper” 张文源 Zhang Wenyuan Offset print, 1986	Mao Jacket Grey wool, 1994	China’s Good Kid – Lei Feng Lei Wenbin 雷文彬 Offset lithographic print, 1990
The Market Bao Shide Woodblock print, 1985	Watching Television Anonymous Woodblock print, 1980s	Returning Home Late Tie Zhuangzi Woodblock print, undated