From the 1980s, many Chinese artists have experimented with a range of unconventional materials. Their works-in plastic, paper, silk, ash, and tobacco-form a major trend in Chinese art. The Allure of Matter offers the first serious consideration of these ground-breaking material explorations, coining the term Material Art to describe works that place "matter" itself as the primary vehicle of investigation and expression. The book contains four ground-breaking essays, profiles of twenty-five artists, and corresponding color images.00Exhibition: LACMA County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA (02.06.2019 - 05.01.2020) / Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, USA (06.02.-03.05.2020) / Seattle Art Museum, USA (25.06.-12.09.2020) / Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, USA (14.11.2020-21.02.2021).