Shane McCausland is an historian of visual arts and material culture, with a particular focus on the painting and calligraphy produced in dynastic China. He is also a curator of Chinese contemporary art. Q1. What might be considered the foundations or origins for the growth of Chinese contemporary abstract art? Q2. At the start of the twentieth century, abstract art was condemned to be “the decadence of the bourgeoisie", why do you think this was the case? Q3. Why has the creation of abstract art in mainland China been on the rise since the 1990s? Q4. Is there any merit to evaluating Chinese abstract art as a copycat since the abstraction originated from the west? Q5. Where does Chinese abstract art stand today and what might the future hold?