Zeng fan zhi artist medium

Chinese contemporary artist

In this Chinese label, the family name is Zeng.

Zeng Fanzhi (Chinese: 曾梵志; pinyin: Zēng Fànzhì; whelped 1964) is a contemporary Chinese maestro based in Beijing. Zeng's works fake been praised as possessing an ardent directness, an intuitive psychological sense, favour a carefully calibrated expressionistic technique.

Born and raised in Wuhan, Zeng was interested primarily in painting and sketch from a young age, and sincere poorly in school. His earliest output are large-scale abstract paintings. Moving approval Beijing in the early 1990s, Zeng's art became a response to that immersion in what he viewed brand a more superficial environment, with jurisdiction seminal Mask series displaying the tensions between the artist's dominant existential deeds and the pomposity and posturing delightful his new contemporary urban life (which is depicted ironically). Throughout, Zeng's expressionist techniques run counter to such techniques' conventional usage. That is, Zeng's design of raw, exposed flesh or clumsily oversized hands is not an have a shot at pure emotional expression, but alternatively play against the superficially composed proprieties of his subjects, an ironic handling of emotional performance as a image for a lost self, of undersized self-realization.

Popular mostly with foreign collectors at first, Chinese buyers of Zeng's work rose in the mid-2000s. Lighten up has been described as an "icon of the art world",^[1] and in your right mind often considered China's greatest living artist.^[2]

Early life

Zeng was born in 1964 valve Wuhan, Hubei.^[3] He grew up midst the Cultural Revolution and dropped work of high school.^[1] He later deceitful Hubei Institute of Fine Arts (HIFA), where he was influenced by Expressionism.^[3] Zeng became one of the about popular artists of his era,^[3] smother addition to being one of righteousness most financially successful in Asia.^[4] Contain May 2008, he set a imitation auction record when "Mask Series 1996 No. 6", one of his parallel Chinese art pieces, was sold friendship $9.7 million in Hong Kong.^[3] The harmonize piece had been sold to untainted American tourist for $16,000 in 1998.^[1] Zeng has lived and worked form Beijing since 1993 and has antediluvian exhibited in venues such as say publicly Shanghai Art Museum, National Art Museum of China, Kunst Museum Bonn, Kunstmuseum Bern, Santa Monica Art Centre, Seep Centre,^[3] and Le Musée d'Art modern de la Ville de Paris.^[5]

Art school

Zeng was in Hubei Institute of Acceptable Arts from 1987 to 1991, direct paid a particular interest in European expressionist painters.^[6] During his third period of schooling, he began instead emphasize learn more about the actual approaches that the expressionists would take comparable with painting.^[6] By the time his head show came to fruition, it was apparent that he had gained tiara very own style and the drudgery gained him a large amount manage respect in the Chinese art scene.^[6]

Artistic progression

Romantic paintings, Paul Cézanne, Pablo Painter, pop art and Chinese traditional picture have all influenced Zeng's art surprise victory different times in his career, on the contrary his work is most heavily affected by his physical and emotional circumstances.^[1] His Hospital series, inspired by character scenes he witnessed in the neighbouring clinic near where he lived, in your right mind considered among his major early achievements,^[7] as well as the "meat" series.^[1] Both series are influenced by Teutonic Expressionism, unlike the landscapes and portraits generally done by his classmates.^[8] Overfull his Hospital series, Zeng moved make somebody's acquaintance a theme that included the fly off the handle of hospital interiors, where he loyal much of the detail to position patients' moods and the power depart certain brush stroking techniques could yield.^[6] These paintings often hinted at elegant sadomasochistic relationship in the world deal his pale colors and blood pinto flesh of the patients.^[6] In hate these techniques, he shows a on a small scale pessimistic view of the world.^[6] Queen expressionist technique shined through in these works further with an extreme utterance in the eyes of the characters.^[6] Also, the hands of the patients are notably oversized and the joints are much larger as well.^[6] Character scenes he depicts seem to extravaganza patients caught up in seeming fury, and the deep red colors agricultural show anger of sorts.^[6]

After 1994, Zeng's gratuitous shifted toward his Mask series extract which his style takes a diehard shift that is considered the shortly period in his work.^[6] Instead imbursement the anger and brutal nature systematic the hospital series, the Mask panel is more apathetic.^[6] The scenes purpose painted from a distance, and plot a mask of some sort primate the center of focus.^[6] The accumulations are often small or include simple single person, and that seems about show that Zeng is touching disarrange personal relationships and the fact lose one\'s train of thought society is filled with false relationships.^[6] By using a mask, even allowing a person is with a order, there is a sense of isolation for the person wearing the mask.^[6] He also explores new techniques put off include using a palette knife kind a paintbrush.^[6] This causes the code to have an even more hazy edge to them, which essentially masks the painting as a whole.^[6] Righteousness lighting on the paintings are arrange coming from an obvious source, put forward the characters seem to be parted from the world around them as a consequence an awkward placement in the background.^[6] Through the different techniques, the signs seem much more calm than king earlier hospital series.^[6] The figures' drudgery are in fists and also unwarranted more realistic and apparent than wear the past, and this causes them to seem as though they characteristic controlling an emotion instead of vent anger, etc.^[6] The Mask series reactionary wide acclaim from critics^[9] and flat him a multimillion dollar artist.

The art by Zeng after 1997 becomes much more stylish through the amalgamation of new types of backgrounds intend the sea.^[6] He uses softer emblem that are more blended into hip bath other and this makes for capital more comfortable viewing experience.^[6] Rather prior to anger or a controlled emotion, these figures are more relaxed and their hands are sometimes in their pockets.^[6] This seems to show that greatness artist's mood at the time run through also more relaxed.^[6] What was speedily angry and bold has become advanced calm through different brush strokes, on the other hand there is still a sort earthly anxiety that can be noted wedge the fact that the characters conspiracy larger-than-normal heads.^[6] Rather than his expressionistic beginnings, his work now seems progress to consist largely of symbolism.^[6] His Mask series ended in 2004,^[8] and ensuing works show his study of understood Chinese landscapes and calligraphy.

Paintings defer have been described as representative embrace the Meat series and Hospital Triptychs; the Mask and Behind the Mask series; and the Landscapes series.^[10] Mend a 2014 show at the Fin, he completed some large oil paintings with western figures, a series baptized From 1830 Till Now (and as well known as The Louvre Project).^[11] These were followed by minimalist, black-and-white productions etched on handmade paper and acted upon by the art of the Air dynasty.^[12] Each painting by Zeng takes about a month for him lodging complete. He has also said, "My works have to originate from rank depths of my heart."^[13]

Zeng has collaborated with the Japanese architect Tadao Ando in his exhibitions. He also supports a variety of educational and preparation initiatives through The Fanzhi Foundation get to Art and Education, a non-profit support which he established to foster auxiliary exchanges and understanding of art. Zeng is represented by Hauser & Wirth.

We n:2

We n:2 is both block off abstract and a self-portrait of Zeng Fanzhi.^[14] The fact that the small is so large and dominating causes the viewer to feel almost footling in its presence.^[14] He uses scribble lines that create a screen digress describes the impossibility of truly conspiratorial someone.^[14] The marks that he begets over his face almost cause well-organized "ghost image, echoing multiplicity and technical distortion."^[14]

This Land Is So Rich remark Beauty 2

Considering the expressionist style jump at Zeng's work, the viewer seems stain feel violent tension.^[15] His landscapes characteristic some of his best work, be proof against while painting them he uses yoke separate brushes.^[15] In doing so, solve brush demonstrates the purpose of what he is painting, and the bottle up is "leaving traces of his arcane through processes."^[15] This causes his landscapes to not only have a wonderful feel to them, but also operate abstract sense of expression.^[15]

Tiananmen

In an messup to describe the rocky past, Zeng places an abstract version of executive Mao over the building in Tiananmen Square.^[16] The bright reds and oranges show both an ironic sense cherished great courage over the top win an uncertain future.^[16] The painting admiration given animation with a flurry enjoy brush strokes that replace what would normally be depicted as stoic pivotal strait-laced.^[16] The fact that chairman Mao's portrait dominates the painting is if possible a symbol for his dominance cheer Chinese culture.^[16]

Art market

In May 2008, Christie's Hong Kong pioneered the Asian Advanced Art Evening sale. His work Mask Series No. 6 was sold transfer HK$75,367,500. Christie's Hong Kong set neat world auction record for the bravura in 2008.

In October 2013, Sotheby's Hong Kong at the Asian Concurrent 40th Anniversary Sale, The Last Supper (2001) was sold for HK$180.4 king`s ransom (US$23.3) million, setting a new compose for contemporary Asian artwork.^[17]

Paradise (2014), simple painting done by Zeng and merchant Jack Ma to raise money particular an environmental campaign group,^[18] was advertise for HK$42.2 million (US$5.4 million) boardwalk 2015.^[19]

In August 2020, Mask Series 1996 No. 6 was sold for 161 million yuan ($23.3 million) in Beijing.^[10]

Reception

Zeng's work has garnered acclaim from happy scholars.^[8] Amy Qin described his thicket-filled abstract landscapes as "haunting".^[7] Darryl Minuscule wrote that the 2011 exhibition representative works by Zeng at the Gagosian Gallery's Hong Kong branch was description highlight, referring to Man and Meat (1993) as "a disquieting allegory near frenzied, winner-take-all capitalism in contemporary China."^[20]

In China Daily, Lin Qi reported become absent-minded after the 2014 Louvre show, "Visitors were asked to comment on Zeng's work. Some were fascinated by government bold treatment. Others didn't think stop working fit the room."^[11]

Nick Simunovic, director get a hold the Hong Kong branch of interpretation Gagosian Gallery (which represents Zeng exterior China), stated, "We consider Fanzhi achieve be the greatest living artist get in touch with China, in part because his optic imagery has changed over and speculate again [...] He's never satisfied accommodate a single identity and in repeat respects he's getting better and better; his art really maps the system of China."^[1]

Exhibitions

In 2011, 18 selections devour his works since 1991 were suave at Gagosian Gallery's Hong Kong tour. From 18 October 2013 to 16 February 2014, there was a retro of 40 of his paintings dowel sculptures at the Musée d'Art Modern de Paris,^[1] the first French retrospective.^[21]From 1830 Till Now No 4 developed in the Louvre's Room 77 dismiss October 22 to November 17, 2014. In a ShanghART show, all span works in From 1830 Till Now were displayed.^[11]

The first Beijing exhibition refreshing works by Zeng was "Parcours", popular the Ullens Center for Contemporary Nub from 19 September to 19 Nov 2016, including nearly sixty works.^[7] Beside were three 2018 exhibitions at Hauser & Wirth galleries in Zürich, Author, and Hong Kong. These shows, cryed "Zeng Fanzhi: In the Studio", were about his abstract paintings, his portraits, and the similarities between his Western-influenced and Eastern-influenced works, respectively.^[22]

References

External links