Edutainment > 18th National Printmaking Exhibition in Shanghai, China

Growing up - Fang Fang, 2007
copyright Zhang Biao

From September 27 until October 6, 2007 the 18th National Chinese Printmaking Exhibition took place in Shanghai, China. This exhibition on national level takes place every one to two years. It is the most prestigious and important show for Chinese printmakers. 2,400 artists with 2,400 art works from all over the Chinese nation applied for participation, out of which 215 were admitted. 20 judges made the decisions. 12 art works won the "nominated prize" and 36 the "outstanding prize".

We at artelino are proud to see so many artists that are represented by us in our art auctions admitted to this exhibition, and even having received prizes. And at the same time the exhibition is an excellent hunting ground for us to find new artists of interest for our clients.

Artists with Awards

This 18th National Print Exhibition in Shanghai has for the first time not awarded any Golden prize nor Silver or Copper prizes, but only Outstanding Prizes.

Among the artists that received an outstanding award, the following are represented by artelino:

• Zhang Biao with the etching "Growing up - Fang Fang". This print will be offered in artelino's auction # 463 starting October 17, 2007.
• Zhu Jianhui with "Cocoon No.1".
• Zhang Minjie with "No Title No.3".
• Zhang Xiaochun with "Wood Language".
• Fang Limin with "Twine".
• Luo Guirong with "My Land and Me No.4 - Summer". This print and two more will be offered in artelino's auction # 463 starting October 17, 2007.
• Wang Zuocai with "Nomads". This print was sold in auction # 460. More designs by Wang Zuocai will be offered in our auctions of Chinese prints and paintings in the weeks ahead of October and November 2007.

Artists with Selected Art Works

Of the artists admitted to the Shanghai exhibition more are represented, respectively have been offered by artelino in online art auctions.

• Zhang Guilin with "With Smoke".
• Wu Enqi with "Warm Breeze".
• Li Yanpeng with "Silent Village".
• Yu Chengyou with "Good Days".
• Chen Yuping with "Noble Spirit".
• Wen Mujiang with "Shadow of Breeze No.4".
• Wang Yuhui with "The Locale No.1".
• Shi Yi with "Gone with the Wind".
• Lu Min with "Singing with Birds".
• Su Yansheng with "Image No.1".
• Zhou Bin with "Warm Wind". This print will be offered in our auction # 463 starting October 17, 2007.
• Li Ju with "C-Minor".

Our Artists

Works by the following artists have been offered by artelino in the past. With most of them we are in contact - either directly or via our art agent in China. If you are interested in acquiring an art work by one of these great artists, please do not hesitate to contact us. During the months of October, November and December of 2007 you will see quite a few of these artists - and even the awarded prints - offered in our art auctions.

Zhang Biao

Growing up - Fang Fang, 2007
copyright Zhang Biao

Zhang Biao is the great new star among our artists. His large-format etching "Fang Fang" had received a prize at the 17th National Chinese Printmaking Exhibition. This outstanding print shows the artist's little daughter. We had received overall 4 copies which were hammered in our online auctions for record prizes of USD 800 to USD 1,600 plus commission. With "Growing up - Fang Fang" Zhang Biao has created another outstanding master work.

Market Trend for Zhang Biao

Having received an outstanding award in the 17th and in the 18th National Chinese Printmaking Exhibition, it is no wonder that prices for his art works have roughly doubled within one year. Small formats start with ca. USD 500 and large formats like the "Fanf Fang" etchings can currently be estimated at USD 2,000 and more.

Current Availability by artelino for Zhang Biao Prints

Starting in October 17, 2007 we will auction Growing up - Fang Fang and several more great designs by the artist from the series Flower Age.

Luo Guirong

My Land and Me - Beautiful Autumn
copyright Luo Guirong

Luo Guirong is a top-ranking artist in China. His prints are among the highest-priced in today's art market of modern Chinese prints. Artworks by Luo Guirong have been exhibited in the United States, Great Britain, France, Japan, Korea, Germany, Lithuania, Malaysia and Singapore. In February and March of 2006 his woodblock prints were shown at Concord Gallery in New York.

Market Trend for Luo Guirong

We had three large-sized reduction woodblock prints by the artist in late 2006 which sold for ca. USD 800 plus commission. The buyers may consider themselves lucky. They made a bargain. The small edition sizes of usually not more than 20 pieces plus the series of his national and international exhibition success have doubled the prices of his works within one year. But even USD 2,000 is still very, very low with regards to the small editions and prices on the international art market for Western artists. On long term a multiple of these prices would not be unusual, provided the artist will keep to small editions. Luo Guirong is too serious about his art to do anything else.

Current Availability by artelino for Luo Guirong Prints

We have received three woodblock prints by Luo Guirong which will soon be offered. There is one copy of the price-awarded reduction woodblock prints "My Land and Me No. 4 - Summer" in very large format, plus the No. 4 of this series "My Land and Me - Beautiful Autumn" and finally an A.P copy of Luo Guirong's prize-awarded print from the 17th National Chinese Print Exhibition, "Life Gone with the Wind".

Zhang Minjie

A Running Crowd No. 1
copyright Zhang Minjie

Zhang Minjie is unique in Chinese art. His printmaking method to create colored woodblocks is based on the traditional Chinese technique. But the symbolism, the surrealism, the perspective contraction of Renaissance in his prints are more similar to those in the Western art. He probably received these ideas from an encounter with international artists 1994 in Japan.

Market Trend for Zhang Minjie

Zhang Minjie is among the few very expensive printmakers in China. Several years ago he stopped making prints. Currently the artist teaches young students as a professor at the Department of Printmaking of the CNAFA (Chinese National Academy of Fine Arts) in Hangzhou. It took artelino several years to get into contact with Zhang Minjie. Finally in summer of 2007 we managed to buy 4 woodblock prints and one lithograph directly from the artist. It was the first time that we bought prints - we normally take only consignments. But for Zhang Minjie we made an exception. We wanted to give our serious collectors a chance to acquire a work of art by this great artist who has become a legend at lifetime.

The prints offered by us had reserves from USD 800 to USD 1,200. They went out for hammered prices of USD 1,200 to USD 2,400.

Current Availability by artelino for Zhang Minjie Prints

Our current availablity is zero. However if you have some patience and the necessary funds, please do not hesitate to contact us. Zhang Minjie watched our auctions and was quite pleased about the results for his art prints. He told us that he might even reconsider his absence from printmaking and might every now and then make a woodblock print or a lithograph. Thus the chances to receive either old works or new designs are not so bad after all.

Wen Mujiang

Enjoyment, 2007
copyright Wen Mujiang

It is hard not to be fascinated by Wen Mujiang's woodblock prints. No wonder that this artist is one of the favorites of our collectors of modern Chinese prints.

The art prints by Wen Mujiang deal with the contrasts and cultural changes in today's China. The booming economy in the 1990s and at the beginning of the new millenium created rapid social and environmental changes that set in only twenty years after the end of the Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong. Wen Mujiang's woodcut prints are interesting works of art and documents of today's China with a message.

Market Trend for Wen Mujiang

We at artelino have sold so far more than 60 art prints by Wen Mujiang. While the series Red Tone started with reserves as low as USD 160, the large format prints from "The Faraway Sparrow Sounds" and Shadow of Breeze fetched at least hammered prices of USD 500. The editions of prints by Wen Mujiang are very small. At the same time the artist's fame is on the rise inspite of his young age. We expect distinctive further value increases for prints by Wen Mujiang.

Current Availability by artelino for Wen Mujiang Prints

We cooperate very closely with Mr. Wen Mujiang. The great success of his prints in our auctions have enabled him to establish his own printmaking studio. It is hard to believe, but before he founded his printmaking studio, all these mostly very large prints had been created on his small balcony.

The close connections with the artist enable us to be served by priority with new prints. Auction # 463, starting October 17, will offer his latest design "Enjoyment".

Zhang Xiaochun

Dialog in the Dusk
copyright Zhang Xiaochun

Zhang Xiaochun, born 1959, is an exceptional artist from Yunnan. He works in the technique of reduction woodblock prints. The artist divides his art creations into two phases:

• The perceptual period from roughly 1987 until 1994.
• The brown period from 1994 until now.

During the "perceptual phase" Zhang Xiaochun's print works look very expressive. The "brown phase" shows photo-realistic depictions of the Dai minority people in Yunnan. For these images the artist uses mostly earthen colors: brown, yellow, reddish, white.

We at artelino adore the prints from the brown phase. They have a fascinating attraction that is hard to describe. The woodblock print "Dialog in the Dusk" shown on this web page is a good example. You are either mesmerized or you are not.

Market Trend for Zhang Xiaochun

We had woodblock prints by Zhang Xiaochun since the first year of our activities in auctioning Chinese prints, ie. since 2003. At that time reserves for large-sized prints in small editions of less than ten were around USD 250. Ridiculous! There were few bidders, and the few usually got them for the reserves.

This year (2007) we received a few consigned by one of these early collectors. They fetched roughly three times of the original prices from 2003.

Current Availability by artelino for Zhang Xiaochun Prints

We have tried for 2-3 years to receive more prints by Zhang Xiaochung, mainly those from his brown period. The answer we received was that it was impossible. Currently we have not one to offer. But we might have a small chance by the help of our Yunnan artist friends. We will see!

Chen Yuping

Moderate Breeze, 2004
copyright Chen Yuping

The woodblock prints created by Chen Yuping, born in 1947, are like musical compositions. They remember of paintings by the French impressionists.

Chen Yuping won many provincial prizes and the renowned Lu Xun prize. His artworks have been collected by national and international art museums and collectors. Since the 1990s he has had four solo exhibitions in Japan. His print works were published in two books - "Chen Yuping banhua xuanji" - in Hong Kong and in Taiwan. He is a regular contributor to the National Chinese Print Exhibition.

Market Trend for Chen Yuping

Chen Yuping can be characterized as a classical artist of modern Chinese printmaking. Future books on modern Chinese art will mention his name on forefront as one of the leading masters. Prices for the usually large-format woodblock prints are from USD 500 to USD 1,000 and more. Due to his popularity in China, the edition sizes of his works are usually 100 or even more. We expect a steady upwards trend for art prints by Chen Yuping.

Current Availability by artelino for Chen Yuping Prints

We have sold more than 60 of his prints so far. Demand for his designs within the artelino clientele may be a bit satisfied at the moment. Currently we have 5 woodblock prints by the artist, some of them published in the above mentioned book. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact us. Chen Yuping should not be missing in a collection of modern Chinese art.

October 2007

The images on this web site are the property of the artist(s) and or the artelino GmbH and/or a third company/institution.  Reproduction, public display and any commercial use of these images, in whole or in part, require the expressed written consent of the artist(s) and/or the artelino GmbH. .