Artist Biography
Zeng Fanzhi (b. 1964, Wuhan, China, based in Beijing, China) is regarded as one of China’s most prominent contemporary painters. Working primarily with Expressionist techniques, he merges Eastern and Western artistic traditions to create emotionally charged compositions with psychological, political and philosophical undertones. They draw from the artist’s personal insights into the human condition.
Growing up in the wake of immense reform following China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Zeng’s education was shaped by China’s New Wave Movement, an artistic movement that emerged around 1985. It marked a radical departure from the restrictive Socialist Realism style towards more conceptual, avante-garde approaches and experimental freedom. His practice was further influenced by his relocation to Beijing in the early 1990s, where he experienced disorientation and alienation due to a rapidly urbanising and capitalist-driven society. This led to his renowned Mask (1994–2004) series, where subjects don masks with exaggerated yet vacant features. Since the early 2000s, Zeng’s increasing interest in traditional Chinese painting and Taoist philosophy has steered him towards abstract interpretations of nature. His Abstract Landscapes (2004–ongoing) series, rendered in energetic, gestural applications of line and colour, explores the tensions between humankind and the natural world.
Zeng obtained his BFA from the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, Wuhan in 1991. His work is held in major collections including the National Art Museum of China, Beijing; Shanghai Art Museum; M+, Hong Kong; Singapore Art Museum; Kunstmuseum Bonn; Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Denver Art Museum; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Fukuoka Asian Art Museum.
Notable solo exhibitions include Near and Far/Now and Then (2024), Scuola Grande della Misericordia, Venice; Zeng Fanzhi (2019), Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Zeng Fanzhi | Van Gogh (2017), Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam; Parcours (2016), The Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing; Zeng Fanzhi (2014), Musée du Louvre, Paris; Zeng Fanzhi (2013), Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; Zeng Fanzhi (2010) Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai; Idealism (2007), Singapore Art Museum; and i / We, 1991-2003 (2003), Shanghai Art Museum. The artist has also participated in major international festivals including And_Writers (2010), 1st Nan Jing Biennale and Making World (2009), 53rd Venice Biennale.
Zeng had his residency at the STPI Workshop in 2019.