World Museum Liverpool has welcomed a new collaboration with Shanghai Art Collection Museum. From October 10, visitors can see artwork that has toured the world from China. Before its stop in Liverpool, the exhibition has been shown in Egypt, Turkey, Slovakia, Indonesia and Morocco.
Paintings, jewellery and much more made using traditional Chinese techniques can now be found at the museum. Nicola Selsby, interim Head of Exhibitions, told the ECHO: “The planning of this started at the beginning of 2026, after a visit was made by our director Laura Pye to Shanghai and that is where the close working relationship started.”
Unique traditional techniques
“It’s a really wide ranging collection, with jewellery, ceramics, precious stones, silk screen print paintings, sculptures, it really is unique. And they are all traditional techniques some as old as a thousand years,” Selsby added.
The visit to Liverpool is a special moment for Shanghai and Liverpool, as the two cities are twinned. A long-standing relationship between the two is founded on them both being port cities.
Twin cities connection
Dr Ashley Cooke, Head of World Museum, said: “Liverpool and Shanghai have been twinned since 1999, so we are very much looking forward to showcasing Shanghai’s culture here at World Museum.”
“As ports, both cities have been shaped by the constant flow of people. Liverpool is home to one of Europe’s oldest and largest Chinese communities, and Wings of the Sea is another important step in reflecting the global connections of our museums, whilst also representing the range of cultures that call Liverpool home,” Cooke added.
Exhibition highlights
The exhibition features artwork depicting the “masks” people wear in modern life, and other contemporary artworks made using the traditional Chinese style. One of the arts on display will be the Peking Opera, which was designated as a national cultural treasure by UNESCO in 2010 – through highly decorative costumes, portraits and beautifully painted masks.
The exhibition will only be on display for one month, running until November 8. There are also plans for a collection from Liverpool’s own museum to be displayed in Shanghai.
Mr Hu Muqing, President of Shanghai Art Collection Museum, said: “Through this exhibition, we hope UK audiences will discover not only the craftsmanship of traditional Chinese arts, but the shared aesthetics and life experience embodied in these works.”
“Working with National Museums Liverpool gives us the opportunity to share Shanghai’s living heritage more widely and explore how these stories can resonate with people from different cultural backgrounds. We hope the exhibition will strengthen exchanges between Shanghai and Liverpool, turning appreciation of art into deeper cultural understanding and fostering lasting connections between China and the UK,” Hu added.
