- 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 is an artist, educator and former vice president of the Chinese National Academy of Arts.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. He joins the many nodes of contemporary art into one through his ceaseless changes and powerful creations.
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. “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.
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.