Ambitious cultural hub in luxury surroundings
Opened in 2017 by entrepreneur Wu Tiejun’s Deji Group, the Deji Art Museum is a private museum in Nanjing, one of China’s ancient capitals. Part of the city’s “Museum Mile” along Changjiang Road, it occupies the eighth floor of Deji Plaza, Nanjing’s premier commercial complex. Additional locations in Xianlin and Hexi are currently under construction.
Two digital artworks by the acclaimed artist Refik Anadol welcome visitors at the entrance, while inside, a comprehensive collection reflects 30 years of focused acquisitions. A fitting complement to Nanjing’s own storied history, the holdings of ancient Chinese art range from the Neolithic period through the Ming and Qing dynasties, encompassing ceramics, calligraphy and painting, Buddhist sculpture and classical Chinese furniture. Nearly 100 paintings showcase the distinctive style of the “Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou,” a group of scholar-artists active during the Qing period who brought the elite literati tradition to the broader public.
The Chinese and international modern and contemporary art collections reflect the vibrancy of creative exchange, with works by Zhang Xiaogang, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, Zao Wou-ki and Andy Warhol among those included. The museum is especially noted for its focus on the floral still life, with more than 150 works tracing the genre across Eastern and Western art history, from Sanyu and Wu Guanzhong to Pierre-Auguste Renoir and David Hockney. Deji also embraces new media: in 2023, it made headlines with the purchase of Beeple’s digital artwork “S.2122” for $9 million, marking the artist’s first acquisition by an Asian institution. Alongside presentations of the permanent collection, the museum maintains an active program of special exhibitions featuring Chinese and international artists, as well as public art initiatives. Open every day of the year, Deji claims the distinction of being the world’s only museum open until midnight.