- 1960 born in Chengde, China
- 1984 graduated from Chinese Central Academy of Fine Arts
- 1989-1994 studied in Berlin University of the Arts, Germany
- Doctor of Honour from Kingston University, UK
- Currently works and lives in Beijing, China
Tan ping, born in Chengde, Hebei in China, is an artist, educator and former vice president of the Chinese National Academy of Arts. He graduated from the Chinese Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1984, studied in Germany in the late 1980s and earned a master's degree and a Meisterschule degree. He also received Doctor of Honor from Kingston University, UK. Tan Ping served as President of the school of design in the Chinese Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Vice President of the same institute. He is known as the leading figure of Chinese abstract art, pioneer of the contemporary Chinese art design and promoter of the development of Chinese experimental art. In his 40 years of artistic practice, Tan Ping has always been exploring multiple fields such as painting, printmaking, multimedia, and design. He joins the many nodes of contemporary art into one through his ceaseless changes and powerful creations.
Tan Ping's artworks were collected in many significant institutions including:
National Art of China, Beijing (China); Portland Art Museum, Portland (USA); Ludwig Museum, Aachen (Germany); Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai (China); Museum for Modern Visual Arts, Kolding (Denmark) and more.
Tan Ping’s artwork has a strong feature of “no purpose coincides with the purpose” which emphasizes unconscious behaviors. The artist is deeply influenced by Chinese traditional Zen culture and western minimalism. He is especially good at minimizing elements until he completely abandons objects and moves towards pure abstraction. At the same time, to reach the immaterial modern aesthetics to the largest extent, Tan Ping pays a lot attention to texture and visuality of painting. It allows this art form to go beyond the subsidiary of concepts of philosophy and sociology – it allows painting to have its own value, a value derived from itself. “Covering” is one of the typical features of Tan Ping’s art creation. The way he applies the technique of covering has become a new methodology of himself, which gives his artworks the dimension of performativity. During the process in which the colors are covering each other, the expression of painting is gaining more uncertainty and temporality. Eventually, Tan Ping’s painting became a comprehensive experience of the whole time and space during the creation of art. It could be said that Tan Ping’s artworks are in the condition of un-finishing and restarting. Even if the whole piece of art looks entirely completed and visually well enough, it still could be fundamentally subverted by the action of covering. The behavior of covering is not only an extreme deconstruction but also a brave resistance to the past during which the numb thoughts and souls were stimulated and reborn.
MAIN AUCTION
2019
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Poly BJ Spring Auction, Untitled (2014), 200 x 300 cm, 1,725,000 RMB |
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Poly BJ Autumn Auction, Untitled (2011), 160 x 200 cm, 1,035,000 RM |
2016
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Christie’s HK Autumn Auction, Untitled (1993) & Untitled (1993), 44 x 52.8 cm; 50 x 69 cm, 300,000 HKD |
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Poly HK Spring Auction, Untitled (2008), 160 x 200 cm, 708,000 HKD |
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Poly BJ Autumn Auction, Today’s PM 2.5 (2015), 80 x 100 cm, 230,000 RMB |
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Poly BJ Spring Auction, Untitled (2014), 200 x 300 cm, 1,380,000 RMB |
2015
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Poly HK Spring Auction, Touching No.1 (2007), 160 x 200 cm, 1,038,400 HKD |
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Poly BJ Autumn Auction, Untitled (2009), 3 x 200 x 300 cm, 3,507,500 RMB |
2014
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Christie’s SH Autumn Auction, Yi Jian Mei (2005), 200 x 300 cm, 1,830,000 RMB |
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Poly BJ Autumn Auction, Untitled (2014), 200 x 300 cm, 1,437,500 RMB |
2013
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Sotheby’s BJ Autumn Auction, Untitled (2008), 200 x 300 cm, 1,770,000 RMB |
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Poly BJ Autumn Auction, Untitled (2012), 120 x 150 cm, 805,000 RMB |
MAIN COLLECTION
- National Art of China, Beijing, China
- Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
- Portland Art Museum, Portland, USA
- Ludwig Museum, Aachen, Germany
- Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
- Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
- Qingdao Art Museum, Qingdao, China
- Artron Art Museum, Beijing, China
- Museum for Modern Visual arts, Kolding, Denmark
- Longmuseum, Shanghai, China
EXHIBITIONS | EVENTS | ART FAIRS
SOLO EXHIBITION
2019
YUZ MUSEUM【Duet: A Tan Ping Retrospective】-Shanghai, China
2018
Platform China【Tan Ping 1993: The Beginning of Two Modules】-Beijing, China
2017
Leo Gallery【The Certainty of Uncertainty】-Hong Kong, China
Yuan Art Museum【……】-Beijing, China
Horsens Museum of Modern Art【TAN PING】-Horsens, Denmark
2015
ASU Art Museum【Tan Ping: Follow My Line】-Tempe, USA
Ginkgo Space【Drawing: The Art of Tan Ping】-Beijing, China
2014
PIFO Gallery【Follow My Line, Tan Ping Solo Exhibition】-Beijing, China
2013
National Art Museum of China【A Line, Tan Ping Solo Exhibition】-Beijing, China
2011
German Embassy, Tan Ping Prints Exhibition, Beijing, China
Yun Gallery, Tan Ping New Works Exhibition, Beijing, China
2010
Red Gallery【Tan Ping at Fifty】-Beijing, China
2009
Yun Gallery, Tan Ping Prints Exhibition, Beijing, China
2008
Shenzhen Art Museum, Tan Ping Works Exhibition, Shenzhen, China
Today Art Museum【A Metaphor of the Painful – Tan Ping Works Exhibition】-Beijing, China
2007
Studio Rouge, Tan Ping Prints Exhibition, Shanghai, China
2005
National Art Museum of China, Tan Ping Works Exhibition, Beijing, China
Red Gate Gallery, Tan Ping Prints Exhibition, Beijing, China
2004
Gallery Alexander Ochs, Tan Ping Prints Exhibition, Berlin, Germany
2003
Red Gate Gallery, Tan Ping Works Exhibition, Beijing, China
2002
Red Gate Gallery, Tan Ping Works Exhibition, Beijing, China
2000
Berlin Art Loft, Tan Ping Prints Exhibition, Berlin, Germany
1999
Red Gate Gallery, Tan Ping Works Exhibition, Beijing, China
1995
Red Gate Gallery, Tan Ping Works Exhibition, Beijing, China
1994
Gallery Christof Weber, Tan Ping Works Exhibition, Berlin, Germany
Museum of Contemporary Art【“Beijing – Berlin" Tan Ping Prints Exhibition】-Beijing, China
1992
Gallery Germering【"Calling from the Distance" – Tan Ping Works Exhibition】-Munich, Germany
1991
Gallery Moench, Tan Ping Prints Exhibition, Berlin, Germany
GROUP EXHIBITION
2018
ArtScience Museum【MINIMALISM: SPACE. LIGHT. OBJECT.】-Singapore
PARKVIEW ART Hong Kong【Beijing Abstract】-Hong Kong, China
2016
Helmhaus Museum【Beyond Every Mountain Is Another Mountain - A Meeting of Contemporary Art From China and Switzerland】-Zurich, Switzerland
SPSI Art Museum of Shanghai【Oriental Abstraction VS Western Figuration: A Dialogue between Tan Ping and Luciano Castelli】-Shanghai, China
Today Art Museum【The Research Exhibition of Abstract Art in China】-Beijing, China
2015
Shanghai 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum【Nonfigurative】-Shanghai, China
Shanghai Contemporary Art Museum【Calligraphic Time and Space - Abstract Art in China】-Shanghai, China
Meilun Art Museum【"Follow My Line" & "Traffic Controls" Tan Ping and Liu Qinghe】-Changsha, China
National Art Museum of China【Oriental Abstraction VS Western Figuration: A Dialogue between Tan Ping and Luciano Castelli】-Beijing, China
2014
Museum artpavillon-st-urban, Switzerland【"vibrARTion Switzerland 2014", Forms of the Formless: Exhibition of Chinese Abstract Art】-Luzern, Switzerland
798 Art Factory【"In the Absence of Avant - Garde Reading"】-Beijing, China
2013
Champs Elysees【ChiFra Art Exhibition】-Paris, France
2012
Guangdong Art Museum【"The Unseen" Guangzhou Triennial】-Guangzhou, China
2011
MOCA Beijing【"The Will of China" Chinese Art Invitation Exhibition】-Beijing, China
MOCA Beijing【"Tao of Nature" Chinese Abstract Art Exhibition】-Beijing, China
2010
National Art Museum of China【The Great Celestial Abstract – Chinese Abstract Art in 21st century】-Beijing, China
2008
Alexander Ochs Gallery【"Dialogue" China – Germany Artists Dual Exhibition】-Berlin, Germany
Caixa Forum【Yipai – 30 Years of Chinese Abstract Art】-Madrid, Spain
Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities【China - Sweden Artists Joint Exhibition】-Stockholm, Sweden
National Art Museum of China【"Grinding the Stone" China – Sweden Artists Joint Exhibition】-Beijing, China
2007
Marianne Newman Gallery【The Works of Artists】-Melbourne, Australia
Schreier Von Metternich Gallery【China – Germany Artists Joint Exhibition】-Dusseldorf, Germany
Susanne Ottesen Gallery【"Friends" China – Denmark Artists Joint Exhibition】-Copenhagen, Denmark
2006
Today Art Museum【"Ruins" Tan Ping and Zhu Jin Shi Works Exhibition】-Beijing, China
2004
Square Studio【The Works of Artists】-Beijing, China
2002
Red Gate Gallery, Eight Artists' Printmaking, Beijing, China
2000
Konrad Adenauer Foundation【Square Studio Works Exhibition】-Bonn, Germany
1999
Shanghai Art Museum【Square Studio Works Exhibition】-Shanghei, China
1998
International Art Palace【Chinese Printmaking Exhibition】-Beijing, China
1995
Meridian Gallery【China – Austria Artists Joint Exhibition】-Melbourne, Australia
1988
European & Asian Cultural and Art Centre【Chinese Artists Works Exhibition】-Paris, France