EDUTAINMENT

Zhang Minjie - born 1959

Zhang Minjie
Dancing on and below Walls No. 3, 1993
copyright Zhang Minjie

The Tangshan earthquake was the largest natural disaster of the 20th century. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives in the ruins. Zhang Minjie was 17 years old when he was buried alive and faced with death. His rescue was pure luck - or destiny. The dark visions Minjie had in the ruins changed his outlook on the world and are reflected in his paintings, lithographs and woodcut prints. Top prices are paid for his works all around the world.

Face to Face with Death

Zhang Minjie was born 1959 in Tangshan, a town with flourishing industries in the province of Hebei in northeastern China. The earthquake of 1976 not only destroyed the town completely and caused hundreds of casualties but also left the survivors severly traumatized. Minjie was trapped in the ruins for several hours but was ultimately rescued and given another chance at life. In a way his family was lucky in that they only suffered one casualty.

Haunted by this dreadful experience, Zhang Minjie sought relief in oil colors and started painting. Painting was not entirely new to him; he had also worked as a stage designer for the Fengan Theater. After the earthquake he also returned to the theater not only as a designer but also as an actor.

Deadly Peril Again

Lithograph by Zhang Minjie
Street, 1990
copyright Zhang Minjie

His need for artistic expression led him to northern China for studies. He drew people in everyday-situations and produced his first woodcuts. Talent and training finally gained him admittance to study printmaking at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. He graduated in 1990.

But fate had yet another threat in store for him. During his studies he travelled frequently to faraway places, for example to southeastern China, where one day he made a drawing of the highlands of the Yunnan Province. But the return path was blocked by a mudslide. In order to pass it, he had to cross a plateau and to climb 4000m to find a way out. This experience also had an enormous effect on Minjie's thinking.

Caught Between Tradition and Modernity

A Running Crowd No. 1, 1993
by Zhang Minjie
copyright Zhang Minjie

Zhang Minjie is an unique Chinese artist. He uses traditional Chinese techniques to create colored woodblocks for printmaking. The symbolism, surrealism, and the perspective contraction of Renaissance in his prints, however, are more closely related to Western art. He was probably first exposed to these ideas in encounters of international artists in 1994 in Japan. Minjie did not literally adopt them but rather he adapted them as thematically needed.

Minjie also examined the theories of art as well as influenced art in modern China. Periodicals like Zhongguo Banhua and Shijie Yishu (World of Art) have published his articles, and encouraged discussions among experts. For these reasons, Zhang Minjie is considered one of the most important artists in China.

Minjie also obtained approval and acceptance from government officials. The government of the province of Hebei awarded him for his work in the spirit of Chinese culture. Today he is the director of the Chinese National Academy of Fine Arts in Hangzhou. Furthermore he founded the Masses Art Center in Qinghuangdao, where he is personally engaged in research projects.

Style and Technique of Zhang Minjie

Woodblock by Zhang Minjie
Piece of a Wall No. 5, Woodblock, 1995
copyright Zhang Minjie

Zhang Minjie works with the techniques of oil paintings, lithographs and woodblock prints. He perfected his woodcutting technique by studying the Japanese methods, using several printing plates and oil-based colors to create the finest transitions of colors and vivid three-dimesionality.

His prints and paintings follow his vision. Some parts in his artworks seem to open hovering spaces and are not in perspective conformity. The crowds, although they are three-dimensional figures, look and act like abstract patterns. Normally they cover the entire piece. Everything is presented in similar colors.

Themes and Motifs

The bizarre scenes of the surrealistic crowds following a mystic symbolism are ranked among the most powerful art of modern China. Surely they are connected to the traumatic, life-threatening situations the artist experienced in his childhood and to the most intensive feelings and imaginations of an artist. His figures show stereotyped dancing movements and puppet-like stiffness. The unified masses fight in precise battle formations against the course of things. But they are unable to achieve any results.

Minjie shows rough, rural people from the Chinese north - almost exclusively males - doing their everyday work, riding in full charge or being accompanied by animals. Frequently walls can be found in his works.

The reduced diversity of colors corresponds with the subject. Often the colors are dreary, gloomy and earthy. They are seldom bright and cheerful. This produces an alienating effect towards reality.

Memberships

• China Artists Association.
• Director of China Printmakers Association.

Exhibitions and Awards

Zhang Minjie
China - Acrobatics No.6, 2003
copyright Zhang Minjie

• 1989 - The lithograph "Swing" wins the silver price of the 10th National Exhibition of Printmakers in Beijing.
• 1989 - "Galloping Horses in Front of Distant Mountains" wins the honorary price of Modern Printmakers of Beijing-Taipei in Taiwan.
• 1990 - "Street", wins the honorary price at the 4th National "Three Print Works Exhibition" in China.
• 1991 - "Stone Fortress No.3" wins the 3rd price at the 1st International Print Biennal in Sapporo, Japan.
• 1991 - Triennale Mondiale d'Estampes Petit Format, Paris, France.
• 1992 - The woodcut "Dancing On and Below Walls No.1" wins the golden prize of the 11th National Exhibition of Prints in China.
• 1992 - Exhibtion of Modern Chinese Prints, Rome, Italy.
• 1993 - The lithograph "Galloping Horses" wins the bronze price at the 5th National "Three Print Works Exhibition" in China.
• 1993 - The woodcut "A Running Crowd No.1" wins the sponsors' prize at the 2nd International Print Biennal in Sapporo, Japan.
• 1993 - The 2nd Kochi International Triennal Exhibition of Prints, Kochi Gallery, Japan.
• 1994 - 40 printworks can be seen at the solo exhibition "Zhang Minjie's Print Works" in Hongkong Art Center. The woodcut "A Running Crowd No.2," wins the Grand Price at the 5th Internationalen Triennal Exhibition of Arts 1994 in Osaka, Japan.
• 1995 - Solo Exhibition in the Chinese Art Gallery, China.
• 1995 - The 6th Osaka International Triennal Exhibition of Sculptures; Osaka Contemporaray Art Center, Japan.
• 1995 - The Contemporary Print of Japan and the World-Steps in post War-50 years, Yokohama Gallery, Japan.
• 1996 - Solo exhibitions in the Chinese Art Gallery and Osaka Modern Art Gallery, Japan.
• 1996 - The Portland International Biennal Exhibition of Prints, Portland Museum, USA.
• 1996 - The 20th century Chinese Woodcut Exhibition, New South Wales, Australia.
• 1996 - The 3rd Kochi International Triennal Exhibition of Prints, Kochi Gallery, Japan.
• 1997 - The 7th Osaka International Triennal Exhibition of Prints, Osaka, Contemporary Art Centre, Japan.
• 1997 - The 97 China Art Grand Exhibition, Hong Kong Art Museum, Hong Kong.
• 1997 - Water Exhibition of Asian Painting, Osaka International Art Gallery.
• 1998 - The Exhibition of Contemporary Asian Prints, Hokkaldo Contemporary Museum, Japan.
• 1998 - The 3rd Kagawa International Triennal Exhibition of Prints, Yokohama Gallery, Japan.
• 1999 - Participation at the "China 46 Exhibition", the Chinese exhibition on contemporary Art in Shanghai and Melbourne, Australien.
• 2000 - The Macao Print Invitation Exhibition,macao Gallery, Macao.
• 2000 - The 5th Sapporo International Print Biennale, Hokkaldo Contemporary Museum, Japan.
• 2000 - Contemporary Prints & Paintings from China, Fukuoka Asian Gallery, Japan.
• 2001 - Six Print Artists fromm around the World, Hyundai arts Center, Korea.
• 2001 - The 10th Osaka International Triennal Exhibition of Sculptures; Osaka Contemporaray Art Center, Japan.
• 2002 - Boston International Exhibition of Prints, Boston Academy of Arts, USA.
• 2003 - XI International Grafik Biennal Exhibition of Prints, Grafik Gallery, Poland.
• 2003 - The 1st beijing International Art Biennale, China.
• 2003 - The 3rd China Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition, Chinese Art Museum, Beijing, China.
• 2004 - L'aventure de la Peinture Chinoise au Xxesiè de Premères Lueurs Sur L'orients, Palais de la Porte Doréeà,Paris .
• 2004 - Chinese Printmaking Today, The British Museum, London, Great Britain.
• 2004 - The International Print and Drawing Exhibition, Slipakom University, Thailand.
• 2004 - The 11th International Biennal Print & Drawing Exhibition, Taipeh Art Gallery, Taiwan.
• 2005 - The 6th Kochi International Triennal Exhibition of Prints, Kochi Gallery, Japan.
• 2005 - Contemporary Woodblock Prints of Korea, China, Japan; Ilim Museum of Art, Korea.
• 2005 - Chinese Art Today, Seoul Contemporary Art Gallery, Korea.
• 2005 - "Along the River" : Chinese oil-painting retrospective Exhibition; Chinese Art Museum, Beijing, China.
• 2006 - The 17th International Grafik Biennal Exhibition of Prints, Grafik Gallery, Poland.
• 2006 - International temporary Exhibition of Prints, Daegu Art Center.
• 2006 - Peasants Painting Exhibition, Chinese Art Gallery, Beijing, China.
• 2007 - Exhibition of Modern Chinese Prints, NanJing.
• 2007 - Contemporary Sculpture Prints of Korea, China, Japan; Ilim Museum of Art, Korea.
• 2007 - Chinese Arts Today, Seoul Contemporary Art gallery.

Collections of Zhang Minjie Art Works

Mr. Zhang Minjie in his Studio
copyright Zhang Minjie

• Chinese Art Gallery, China.
• Beijing Artists' Association, China.
• Central Art Academy, China.
• Jilin Museum, China.
• Shenzhen Art Gallery, China.
• Sichuan Museum, China.
• Olympic Museum, China.
• Folk Art Museum, China.
• Hebei Painting Academy, China.
• Kochi Art Gallery, Japan.
• Hokkaido Art Gallery, Japan.
• Osaka Prefectural Government, Japan.
• Osaka International Art Center, Japan.
• GuangDong Museum of Art.
• Jiangsu Art Gallery.
• Zhejiang Art Gallery.
• Anhui Museum.
• Suchuan Musuem.
• Guiyang Art Gallery.
• Qingdao/Ningbo/Shenzen Art Gallery.
• Osaka Modern Art Center, Japan.
• Hokkaido Modern Art Gallery, Japan.
• Japanese International Art Gallery.
• Hyogo Art Gallery.
• Kobe Art Gallery, Japan.
• European Woodcut Funds.
• Potland Museum, USA.
• The British Library, GB.
• Boston Library, USA.
• Macao Art Museum, Macao.
• HongKong Art Museum, Hongkong.
• Gana Gallery.
• The Chinese University of Hongkong, Hongkong.

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