We are eager to present a rare collection of Chinese Christian posters from the second quarter of the 20th century. This collection of 20 posters was a gift from a ReFrame Ministries colleague whose grandparents were missionaries in China before the Cultural Revolution, and includes several rarely-before-seen images. The collection has been curated into multiple smaller, unique exhibits, for simultaneous display at venues across North America.
After the collapse of the imperial dynasty in 1911, Christianity became popular all over China. Posters like these were a simple and effective way to share the gospel with the average Chinese person; however, they became a political target with the rise of the communist and nationalist parties. Many Chinese Christian posters were torn down, covered up, or burned during the 1930s and 1940s. This exhibit offers a rare glimpse into images produced for mass consumption, as evangelicals used art to convey the message of God and his salvation among a largely illiterate Chinese population.
