Zou Jianping

 
B. 1955 Hunan, China

Zou Jianping graduated from Hunan Normal University and pursued further studies at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. He is the Honorary Chairman of the Hunan Artists Association, a member of the Chinese Artists Association, and an art consultant at the Yungang Grottoes Research Institute. Zou resides and works in Changsha.

 

His exhibitions include: 1990, China Modern Art Exhibition (Pacific Asia Museum, USA); 1991, Modern Culture and Contemporary China (Moscow Central Art Museum); 1997, China Art Grand Exhibition (Shanghai Library); 1998, The 13th Asian International Art Exhibition (The National Art Gallery of Malaysia); 1998, The First International Ink Painting Biennial of Shenzhen (Shenzhen Guan Shanyue Art Museum); 1999, The 14th Asian International Art Exhibition (Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan); 1999, Gate of the Century: 1989━2000 China Art Grand Exhibition (Chengdu Museum of Modern Art); 2000, New China Painting Exhibition (Shanghai Liu Haisu Art Museum); 2000, The Second International Ink Painting Biennial of Shenzhen (Shenzhen Guan Shanyue Art Museum); 2001, 20 Years of Chinese Ink Experiment (Guangdong Art Museum); 2002, The 17th Asian International Art Exhibition (Daejeon Museum of Art, South Korea); 2002, The Third International Ink Painting Biennial of Shenzhen (Shenzhen Guan Shanyue Art Museum); 2003, BEAUTIJUF DESIRE Art Exhibition (Tang Contemporary Art, Bangkok Space); 2005, Nomination Exhibition of Contemporary · Prosperous Chinese Painting (National Art Museum of China); 2006, The First Contemporary Visual: China Contemporary Art Yearbook Exhibition (Beijing World Art Museum); 2006, The Fifth International Ink Painting Biennial of Shenzhen (Shenzhen Art Museum); 2006, "Contemporary Art in the Chinese Cultural Context" Biennial Exhibition (Today Art Museum, Beijing); 2006, China Contemporary Art Chengdu Biennial Exhibition (Chengdu Museum of Modern Art); 2009, Shanghai New Ink Art Exhibition (Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art); 2009, Trends in Hubei and Hunan: Chinese Contemporary Art in Hubei & Hunan (Guangdong Art Museum), etc.

 

Zou Jianping is a significant figure in the development of contemporary and modern art in China. With nearly 46 years of dedication to artistic endeavors, he epitomizes the nuanced and diverse nature of a contemporary artist, seamlessly integrating publication and creative expression, venturing across disciplines and embracing a composite approach to his craft.

 

This solo exhibition in Bangkok showcases Zou Jianping's recent works, and we plan to elaborate on three aspects:    

 

Firstly, at 65, artist Zou Jianping embarked on a self-driven journey covering 33,000 kilometers. His path took him across the Kizil Caves and the Kumtura Caves in the Aksu region of Xinjiang, the Bezeklik Caves in Turpan, and the ancient Guge Kingdom and Piyang-Dongga Caves in Tibet. Utilizing a systematic and evidentiary approach, he revitalized the paintings and historical images of the Western Regions, sparking a renewed understanding of the integrative characteristics of Chinese culture.

 

Secondly, the "Great Bird Series" integrates traditional patterns from Hunan, deeply embedding the artist's own destiny into the development context of contemporary art. Zou Jianping describes himself as "I am a bird. If I die, I die in the sky!" The series unfolds through the imagery of birds, continuously questioning the ultimate dedication of the artist's spirit.

 

Thirdly, Zou Jianping unveils the "Grand Vase Series," using diverse materials that reflect his sustained quest for new romantic expressions. He emphasizes the construction of rational order while exhibiting a profound humanistic concern.  Through his writings, one can often sense his compassionate and romantic delicacy, expressing a deep concern for the world. Beyond the canvas, Zou Jianping navigates between the sacred and the mundane, drawing inspiration from both the transcendent and the everyday collisions of the worldly. Through his symbolic language, he metaphorically articulates personal appeals and seeks redemption within the confines of the secular. Notably, his chosen medium involves the use of mineral-rich soil—black clay, red clay, and white clay—forging sharp implements that serve as the eloquent vocabulary of his artistic expression. In this, he imparts a divine quality to the very earth from which his creations emerge. Zou's works appear to both exalt and dissolve the divine. The conventional altar of the gods discreetly recedes, inviting the divine back into the human sphere, ultimately restoring and narrating the timeless stories of humanity.