Michael J. Hatch

Michael J. Hatch is an Assistant Professor of East Asian art history at Miami University, Ohio. He specializes in Chinese painting from the 18th to 21st centuries, focusing on theories of painting, modernity in China, and the historiography of Chinese art. His research explores sensuous modes of appreciating literati painting (1100–1900 CE) and the role of senses like touch, hearing, and smell in art critique. He also investigates linearity and brushwork in early modern/modern Chinese painting.

Hatch holds a Ph.D. (2015) and has professional experience in museums, auction houses, and galleries. Notably, he curated Qian Du (1764–1844) and Style in Qing Dynasty Landscape Painting at Princeton University Art Museum (2012). He has contributed art criticism to The Brooklyn Rail, Artforum International, and Yishu. From 2006–2008, he worked in Beijing at China Guardian Auction House and previously at New York’s Kaikodo Gallery.

His publications analyze intersections between Chinese and global art, modernity, and exhibition practices. He combines academic research with curatorial and market expertise, bridging historical and contemporary art discourse.