He Jian was born in 1978 in Guang Yuan, Sichuan province, and graduated from Oil Painting Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. His distinctive style of artistic expression is inspired by the frescoes of the 14th century Yongle temple in Shanxi province. At first glance, his works look aged, as if they are in need of intensive restoration, the effect that the artist reaches with the technique of layered paint over a thin surface of rice paper. Juxtaposing antique techniques of meticulous Chinese brush painting with the subject-matter of Chinese contemporary everyday life as well as his childhood memories, He Jian takes his works into a unique temporal dimension.
For his witty visual combination of ancient and contemporary, He Jian graduated with distinction, and continued on as a lecturer in the Oil Painting Department of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Since graduation, He Jian has received increasing attention from the international art world and participated in many shows in China and abroad. Since his practice and education have been so firmly rooted in Sichuan, he is frequently exhibited with his Sichuan-based contemporaries, together with them recognized as the new face of the Sichuan school of painting.
He Jian was born in 1978 in Guang Yuan, Sichuan province, and graduated from Oil Painting Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. His distinctive style of artistic expression is inspired by the frescoes of the 14th century Yongle temple in Shanxi province. At first glance, his works look aged, as if they are in need of intensive restoration, the effect that the artist reaches with the technique of layered paint over a thin surface of rice paper. Juxtaposing antique techniques of meticulous Chinese brush painting with the subject-matter of Chinese contemporary everyday life as well as his childhood memories, He Jian takes his works into a unique temporal dimension.
For his witty visual combination of ancient and contemporary, He Jian graduated with distinction, and continued on as a lecturer in the Oil Painting Department of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Since graduation, He Jian has received increasing attention from the international art world and participated in many shows in China and abroad. Since his practice and education have been so firmly rooted in Sichuan, he is frequently exhibited with his Sichuan-based contemporaries, together with them recognized as the new face of the Sichuan school of painting.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 | The Eternal Wave, Richard Koh Fine Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
2010 | Disguised History – by He Jian, Art Seasons, Singapore He Jian’s Solo Show, H.T. Gallery, Beijing, China |
2009 | He Jian’s Solo Show, Chao Yi Tang Gallery, Beijing, China |
2006 | He Jian’s Solo Show, Weibang Gallery, Seoul, Korea |
2005 | Living in the World – by He Jian, Art Seasons, Beijing, China Living in the World – by He Jian, Art Seasons, Singapore |
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 | A Confrontation of Ideals – Anren Biennale 2nd, Anren, Chendu, China Stretch Long and Unbroken – China and Germany Art Invitational Exhibition, Kunsthaus Taunusstein, Germany Parallel and Interweaving – Fujian and Chongqing Contemporary Art Invitational Exhibition,Xuanzhi Art Museum, Fujian, China Quotidian Poetry – Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Exchange Exhibition, Chini Gallery, Taibei,Taiwan |
2018 | PERFECT – Buddhism and Art Exhibition,Putian Art Museum,FuJian,China “Outpost” Art Project,Xiamen International Conference Center,China |
2017 | Fragmental Fields, Art Karlsruhe, ASAS, Karlsruhe, Germany Vigorous Growth of Art in the Southwest of China – Contemporary Art Exhibition of Teachers from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, China Cultural Center, Sydney, Australia |
2016 | Art Central Hong Kong, Art Seasons Gallery, Hong Kong Hue Art in the Contemporary Era, The 10th China Fine Art Exhibition, China Art Museum, Beijing, China 17th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2016, National Art Gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh China Contemporary Art Exhibition, Chinese Cultural Center, London, UK |
2015 | Reflections of Spring – Using Narratives Towards an Order of Literacy, Art Seasons Gallery, Beijing, China See a Part in Eye, See the World in Mind- Contemporary Chinese Ink Painting Exhibition, The Gallery, Shanghai, China Works of Teachers of the Chinese Painting, Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Minsheng Art Museum, Beijing, China |
2014 | On the Road, Nomination Exhibition of Chinese Young Artist, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China Variation – Contemporary Chinese Ink Art Series II, Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China Social Landscape Narration in Chinese Contemporary Painting and its Cultural Concept Changes, East Lake Park, Chengdu, China Lesser Logic – Linguistic Encoding and Discursive Expression in Contemporary Art, Parkview Green Art Gallery, Beijing, China Invitation Exhibition: New Gongbi Painting, Jiangsu Art Museum, Nanjing, China |
2013 | Reality and the Aesthetic Regime of Art, Wangjiang Community, Chongqing, China Rewriting the Landscape: India and China, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Serene Scent: New Ink Painting, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, China |
2012 | Sociological Landscape, The 1st Suzhou Jinji Lake Biennale, Basel Contemporary Art Museum, Suzhou, China Art Stage Singapore, Art Seasons, Singapore |
2011 | This Time- Contemporary Art Exhibition, Esse Art Space, Beijing (The Moment, The Existent, Real Space, Beijing, China) Art Seasons 10th Anniversary, ART SEASONS, Singapore Art Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan Harmonious.Beautiful – 1st Exhibition of Sichuan Gongbi Painting Association and Invitation Exhibition of Gongbi Painting Masters, Sichuan Museum, Chengdu, China |
2010 | Life as Art – Contemporary Art Exhibition, Yueshan, Sichuan, China Art is Life – Contemporary Art Exhibition, Leshan, China Tips – Contemporary Ink Art, My Humble House Art Center, Taipei, Taiwan |
2009 | Water and Color – Contemporary Ink Art, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China China Prospects – Contemporary Art, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China Prospects – Contemporary Art, Zero Field Art Center, Beijing, China Temporary – Contemporary Art Exhibition, Scola Art Center, Beijing, China Los Angeles Art Fair, Yi Lai Gallery, Los Angeles, USA |
2008 | Post Traditional, Art+ Shanghai Gallery, Shanghai, China Brush and Ink Strategies, Qingdao Art Museum, Shandong, China Art Miami Fair, Art Basel Miami Beach, USA |
2007 | Sichuan School of Painting – 30 years, Cultural Exchange Center of Ministry of Culture, Beijing, China Face East, Robischon Gallery, USA Word of Mouth from the Four Corners, The 3rd Guiyang Biennial Art Exhibition, Guizhou, China |
2006 | The Self-Made Generation: A Retrospective of New Chinese Painting, Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China The Power of Art on Paper, Art Seasons, Beijing, China The Power of Art on Paper, Art Seasons, Beijing, China |
2005 | Capturing Youth – New Trends in Contemporary Art from Chongqing, Art Seasons Gallery, Beijing/ Singapore |
2004 | Ideal of New Generation – Chinese New Generation Artist Award Exhibition, He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen, China L’un, L’autre, Sino-French Cultural Year Sichuan Art Institute Contemporary Art Exhibition, Toulouse, France Realistic Mirage – Chongqing Youth Artists Exhibition, Shanghai International Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China Art Singapore 2004, Asian Contemporary Art Fair, Singapore New Wave, Art Seasons, Beijing, China |
2003 | Chongqing Chillis American Tour Exhibition, Ohio State University Art Museum, USA Changing Face – Feng Bin, Bai Hai, He Jian Works Exhibition, Adleta Gallery, USA International Exchange Exhibition between China and Korea, Chonqing Art, Chongqing, China Winter @ Art Seasons, Art Seasons, Beijing, China |
2002 | Art in History and Today, Opening Exhibition of Chongqing Art Museum, Chongqing, China |
2001 | Chongqing Chillis, Kassel, Kulturbahnhofs, Germany Huang Binhong Prize for New Sprouts of Chinese Painting, Beijing, China Models – Paintings on the Frame, The 1st Chengdu Biennial Art Exhibition, Chengdu Contemporary Art Museum, Chengdu, China |
1999 | Renew China – New Look of Chinese Painting from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Soobin Art Gallery, Singapore The 9th Chinese Art Show of Chongqing Region, Chongqing, China Calm Existence, Art Museum, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing, China |
COLLECTIONS
Singapore Art Museum
Singapore Art Museum
Chengdu Contemporary Art Museum
Chongqing Art Museum
He Xiangning Art Museum
Huang Binghong Art Museum
Shanghai Art Museum