Confucian Aesthetics in Migration: Critical Strategies and Visual Translation in Malaysian Chinese Art

Abstract

Despite widespread recognition of Confucianism’s cultural importance among Malaysian Chinese communities, little is known about how its philosophical principles are reinterpreted and visually transformed by contemporary artists navigating postcolonial realities. This research addresses this gap through a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative data from 227 fine arts students, qualitative interviews with five representative Malaysian Chinese painters, and visual analysis of 50 key artworks. The results show that Confucianism functions not as a fixed doctrinal system but as a vital meta-framework that allows for the reimagining of core concepts, such as Ren (Benevolence) and He (Harmony), into tools for social critique and cultural negotiation. These ideas are expressed not through illustrative methods but via innovative symbolic and material strategies—ranging from fractured composition to technical experimentation—leading to a variety of personal styles rooted in a shared cultural logic. The study introduces a “critical translation” model for understanding the modernization of traditional philosophies within diaspora contexts, offering both theoretical insights and practical avenues for decolonizing arts education and fostering globally relevant, culturally authentic artistic practices.