- 1955 born in Chongqing, China
- 1982 graduated from Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing, China.
- Currently lives and works in Chengdu and Shanghai, China.
Zhou Chunya - The literati combination of Chinese Painting and Neo-expressionism- From the context of Chinese art development over the past thirty years, Zhou Chunya is an exceptional figure acclaimed as an idol reinterpreting the combination of Chinese Painting and Neo-expressionism in the Chinese art history. After graduating from Kassel Academy in Germany in 1988, Zhou has constituted a Contemporary-literati style of Chinese painting under the influence of German Neo-expressionism and Chinese traditional painting. In his forty-year career, his art has changed so frequently and so drastically. All his iconic series like Mountain Rocks, Green Dog, Flower, and Peach Flower have unanimously carried with his literati sense and spirit.
Zhou Chunya was born in Chongqing and graduated from Kassel Academy of Fine Arts in Germany in 1988. His artworks are supported by top museums and art collectors worldwide. He has also hosted his solo exhibition in Spain, Italy, Norway, Indonesia National Gallery, and Shanghai Art Museum and Today Art Museum in China. In 2009, Zhou established the Fund of Five Colors to help people handicapped by injury and lost their support during the earthquake, and keep helping handicapped people through art education and provide therapeutic programs to children. In 2010, Zhao has gained great success by having his Forty Years Retrospective Review exhibition in Shanghai Art Museum and establishing Zhou Chunya Art Academy in Shanghai. Zhou is not just having huge success in the art market, but also highly regarded for his academic achievement. He was appointed as president to the Academic Committee of Chengdu Biennale in 2013.
Throughout Zhou Chunya's whole art career, there are three series of works that are most representative: Rock, Green Dog and Peach Blossom. It is fair enough to say that he is a real liberalist who dare to go beyond the bigger concept of history and social conditions because he believes in life experience itself. As one of the most established artists who have been through the Cultural Revolution, he kept his path different from the mainstream “Traumatic Art” at that time. He feels pleasant to face this cruel world and represent it back to the public in a beautiful and romantic way, bringing positiveness and satisfaction to life. However, at the same time, his artwork shows a type of “mild violence” which reflect his resistance as an individual to the society as a whole. As shown within his works about landscapes, lives and the human body, there are metaphors of his personality as both a traditional Literator and a bold contemporary artist.
MAIN AUCTION
2019
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Christie’s HK Spring Auction, Stone Series- The Tree Connected to Stone (1993),195 x 130 cm, 32,525,000 HKD |
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Sotheby’s HK, Spring Auction, Little Path to Dragon Spring Mountain (2006), 200 x 250 cm, 9,775,000 HKD |
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Poly HK, Spring Auction, Peach Blossoms -Suzhou Peach Blossoms (2006), 200 x 250 cm, 10,974,000 HKD |
2018
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China Guardian Spring Auction, Chinese Stone (1992), 149.5 x 129 cm, 43,700,000 RMB |
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Christie’s HK Autumn Auction, Tree Series (1993), 195 x 130 cm, 30,100,000 HKD |
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Christie’s HK Spring Auction, Don’t Let the Flower Goes with the Running Water,280 x 200 cm, 9,100,000 HKD |
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Sotheby’s HK Spring Auction, Peach Blossom in the Spring Once Again (2013), 100 x 500 cm, 12,120,000 HKD |
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Poly HK Spring Auction, Graff, Becker and TT (2009), 220 x 320 cm, 10,856,000 HKD |
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Poly HK Spring Auction, A Lying Woman, Black Stone (1992), 149.2 x 119.2 cm, 9,440,000 HKD |
2017
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China Guardian Autumn Auction, China Scenery (1993), 194 x 130 cm, 44,275,000 RMB (Turnover record) |
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Christie’s HK Autumn Auction, Blossom Series (2006), 120 x 150 cm, 9,700,000 HKD |
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Sotheby’s HK Autumn Auction, Red Rock (1999), 114 x 89.5cm, 2,000,000 HKD |
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Sotheby’s HK Autumn Auction, Blue Sky (2006), 250 x 200 cm, 5,740,000 HKD |
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Sotheby’s HK Spring Auction, Peach Blossom (2013), 150 x 200 cm, 4,180,000 HKD |
2016
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Sotheby’s HK Autumn Auction, Taihu Scholar Rock (2000), 150 x 120 cm, 3,440,000 HKD |
2015
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Sotheby’s HK Spring Auction, Lovers Under the Moon (Green Dog No.2, 1997), 250.5 x 200 cm, 6,080,000 HKD |
2014
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Poly HK, Autumn Auction, Mountain and Rock in Red (1999), 150 x 120 cm, 14,160,000 HKD |
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Christie’s SH Spring Auction, Radiance of the Sunset (1982), 109.5 x 79.5 cm, 7,230,000 CNY |
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Sotheby’s HK Spring Auction, Rock Series (1993), 195 x 130 cm, 8,440,000 HKD |
2013
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Christie’s HK Autumn Auction, New Generation Tibetan (1980), 160 x 200 cm, 33,720,000 HKD |
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Sotheby’s HK Spring Auction, Green Dog No.3 (1997), 250 x 200 cm, 8,200,000 HKD |
2011
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China Guardian Autumn Auction, Sheep Shearing (1981), 170 x 236 cm, 30,475,000 RMB |
2010
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Christie’s HK Autumn Auction, Stone Series (1999), 149.7 x 298.6 cm, 9,620,000 HKD |
EXHIBITIONS | EVENTS | ART FAIRS
SOLO EXHIBITION
2019
Long Museum【The Splendours of the Southeast】-Shanghai, China
2017
Amanda Wei Gallery【Peach Blossom】-Hong Kong, China
2015
Macau Art Museum【New Work 2015】-Macau, China
2010
Shanghai Art Museum【Retrospective exhibition of Zhou Chunya’s artworks from 1971 to 2010】-Shanghai, China
ARCO Madrid【Flora and Fauna】-Madrid, Spain
2007
ChinaToday Gallery【Zhou Chunya】-Brussels, Belgium
2006
Shanghai Gallery【Zhou Chunya: Three on the Bund】-Shanghai, China
2005
Red Bridge Gallery【 The opening exhibition: Land of Warmth】-Shanghai, China
2004
Shanghai Gallery of Art at Three on the Bund【Beyond Boundaries】-Shanghai, China
2002
Museum of Art Modern Contemporary【Zhou Chun Ya】-Trento Italy
314 International Art Centre【Green Dogs】-Bergen, Norway
1998
Chinese Contemporary London【Green Dog & Masters】-England
1997
Taipei Nothern Banker Art & Culture Art Gallery【The Works of Zhou Chunya】-Taipei, China
Beizhuang Gallery【Solo Exhibition】-Taipei, Taiwan
1994
The Works of Zhou Chunya, Taipei, China
Xiaoya Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Taipei, Taiwan
1987
The Works of Zhou Chunya, Düsseldorf, Germany
Zhou Chunya Invitational Exhibition, Linz, Austria
GROUP EXHIBITION
2007
Houston Museum of Fine Arts【Red Hot! Asian Art from the Chaney Family Collection】-Houston, USA
2006
Chinese Contemporary Gallery【Ten Years】-Beijing, China
Zhou Chunya, Zeng FanZhi and Ji DaChun Longrun Art, Beijing China
Chinese Contemporary【Blue House Artists】-Beijing, China
2005
Soobin Art Gallery【Living in Chengdu Exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Oil Painting, 18 Chinese Contemporary Artists】-Singapore
WBK Vrije Academie Den Haan【Focus on China】-Holland
Biennale International D’Art Contemporain Chinois de Montpellier, Paris, France
2004
Irish Museum of Modern Art【Dreaming of Dragon’s Nation-Contemporary Art Exhibition from China】-Ireland
ShenZhen Art Museum【Living in Chengdu-Inviting Exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Oil Paing】-Shenzhen, China
Shanghai Gallery of Art at Three on the Bund【New Works by Liu Wei, Zheng ZaiDong, Zhou ChunYa 】-Shenzhen, China
2003
Centre Pompidou【Alors, La China 】-Paris France
Fondation D’Art Contemporian Florence-Daniel Guerlain【Made in China】-Paris, France
2002
Guangdong Museum of Art【The First GuangZhou Triennial】-Guangzhou, China
Dream 02 Contemporary Chinese art, The Red Mansion Foundation, London
2001
Chengdu Museum of Modern Art【The First Chengdu Biennial】-Chengdu, China
Five Chinese Avant-garde artists, Seoul, Korea
2000
National Art Museum【Chinese Oil Painting in the 20th Century】-Beijing, China
1999
Chinese Contemporary London【Liberation】-England
Limn Gallery【China】-San Francisco, USA
1998
Limn Gallery【East Meets East in the West】-San Francisco, USA
1997
Soobin Art Gallery【8 Avant- Garde Chinese Artists】-Singapore
1996
Art Museum Shanghai【The First Shanghai Biennale】-Shanghai, China
Art Museum Bonn【China! (Chinese Contemporary Art)】-Germany
1994
National Art Museum【The Annual Exhibition of Works of the Artists Nominated by Art Critics】-Beijing, China
1993
Art Central【China’s New Art, Post-1989】-Hong Kong, China
1992
Exhibiting Central【The First 90 Guangzhou Biennale】-Guangzhou, China
1981
National Art Museum【Seconds Chinese youth Exhibition】-Beijing, China