Not many people know about contemporary Chinese art. Sometimes, not even people in China. "If they've been to China, what they see is traditional cultures," says Janet Baker, curator of Asian art at the Phoenix Art Museum. "You get the idea it's all about ancient China."

Changing that perception is one of the ideas behind "A Tradition Redefined," an exhibit of contemporary Chinese ink paintings that's the result of a partnership between the museum and Harvard University Art Museum. It showcases 63 pieces from the collection of Chu-tsing Li, a professor emeritus at the University of Kansas.

Chinese art has great personal significance to Baker: She was a student of Chu-tsing at Kansas and lived in China for 2 1/2 years in the early to mid-1980s. She met many Chinese artists there and also later, when she lived in New York.

The art in "A Tradition Redefined" is meant to challenge the notion of Chinese art as being solely traditional - the type of pastoral landscapes you might see hanging at a restaurant. As you walk through the gallery, the pieces start with modern takes on traditional concepts, then delve into more abstract works like Liu Guosong's "High Noon" (1969). Finally, pieces like "Two Fish" (1990) and "Tofu" (1980) by Martin Cheng show a nearly complete abandonment of any traditional principles of what is typically considered "Chinese art."

"Tradition" also reveals the difficulties many modern Chinese artists have had in the wake of communism and the Cultural Revolution launched by Mao Zedong in 1966. Baker says many of the artists in the exhibit have suffered political harassment, including Li Huasheng, whose works "Sketch on a Summer Day" (1981) and "Return From Fishing" (1985) are on display.

"He's become a recluse," says Baker. "He's a very wonderful and talented person that's had a tragic life."

To achieve artistic freedom, many Chinese artists, like Hong Xian - who was born in China but now lives in Texas and contributed fluid pieces like "Imperial Red Rocks" to the exhibit - left China for the United States. Frequently, the ones who stay stick with the more familiar and traditional styles of art.

"A lot of the artists that remained in China kept a traditional style because that was very safe," says Baker. "Not subversive."

The Phoenix Art Museum is promoting "Tradition" with three other exhibits under its umbrella:

"No Snow on the Broken Bridge," a video installation by Yang Fudong, uses eight projectors to present a series of seemingly random images that, fitting with the theme of the exhibition, juxtaposes traditional and modern images.

"It draws the viewer into the work as if you're part of it," says Baker.

"The Modern Spirit in Chinese Painting" includes works from the museum's permanent collection by artists featured in "Tradition."

"Making Waves: Contemporary Japanese Prints" includes 21st-century prints by Japanese and American artists inspired by traditional work like the famous woodblock print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Katsushika Hokusai.

With the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing starting next month, Baker knows that China will be on people's minds and hopes that the exhibit will help teach them about the country.

"We ought to have the opportunity to understand and appreciate their 5,000 years of culture," she says.