Edutainment > Woodblock Prints by Hao Ping (born 1952) - Part I

Silent Night, Sound to Convey
copyright Hao Ping

Hao Ping, born 1952, is a pioneer of modern Chinese printmaking, a movement that set in around 1980 when a new era of nearly complete artistic freedom began for Chinese artists. This page presents a selection of Hao Ping's woodblock prints created in the 1990s. It is an homage to Hao Ping and a documentation of an era that is now gone and part of China's modern art history.

Woodblock Prints by Hao Ping from the 1990s

How fast time passes away! We at artelino received our first consignment of modern Chinese prints in 2003. Among the first prints were also these stunning, colorful woodblocks by Hao Ping. They were printed on a simple Chinese paper in very thick oil-based colors. We had never seen anything similar before. These elegant women with long hands and necks in a strange jungle environment were fascinating.

The prints have square image sizes of circa 60 by 60 cm (23.6 by 23.6 inches). The reserves for the first copies that we received were set to a ridiculous $150. Edition sizes were from around 35 to 180 - rather large for Chinese art prints from the 1990s. I still remember how reticent our clients were in bidding. Today all the designs that you see on this page are sold out, and to our knowledge practically not available in the market.

Subjects

The subjects are taken from the colorful folklore of the ethnic minorities of Yunnan, a south-east province of China. The style is typical for what is called today the Yunnan Art School.

Flying Dance

These two designs, although sold as single sheets, form a perfect diptych. Edition size of each was 80. They were created in 1990. They are extra large with an image size of 78 by 78 cm = 30.7 by 30.7 inches. In my personal view these two prints are among the best woodblock designs created by Hao Ping.

Sound of the Far-off Drum, 1990
copyright Hao Ping

Extremely Happy Dance, 1990
copyright Hao Ping

Spring

The compostion of "Spring" is centered around an imaginary cross in the middle of the design. Hao Ping's art is about composition and color. And he likes to depict women. We have never seen a man on a print by Hao Ping. But while he shows them usually with strong bodies, they look elegant with their long hands and arms. But they never look sensual. Maybe because Hao Ping's art is two-dimensional like old Japanese ukiyo-e. Edition size was 35.

Woodblock Prints by Hao Ping

Spring, 1993
copyright Hao Ping

Waiting in Banana Forest

This is one of the most popular designs by Hao Ping. Edition size was rather large with 180 copies, signed and numbered plus about 20 A.P. It is dated 1998.

Woodblock Prints by Hao Ping

Waiting in Banana Forest, 1998
copyright Hao Ping

Moonlight in Forest

"Moonlight in Forest" was one of the best selling designs. When we offered these and other designs by Hao Ping, we advertised on our web site with the slogan "Classics of Tomorrow". How right we were. And how funny in hindsight. Nobody except for a few collectors and art dealers seemed to believe us. Art buyers in online auctions have a strong tendency of a herd mentality. When nobody or only few people bid, they remain absent. But they jump on the bandwagon when the train is already at full speed.

Edition size of "Moonlight" was rather large with 180 copies, signed and numbered plus about 20 A.P. It is dated 1998.

Woodblock Prints by Hao Ping

Moonlight in Forest, 1998
copyright Hao Ping

Daughters of Mountain

A great and daring design that follows a diagonal pattern from top right to bottom left. The image elements to the right of this imaginary diagonal line are darker - showing the three women and a large upright pole. To the left is the wide mountain landscape, painted in light colors to give the impression of vastness and remoteness. A strong mountain wind is blowing from the right - recognizable by the black hair of the women that lies nearly horizontally in the wind.

This design is among the most refined and elaborate ones in my vew, and it is among my favorites. Edition size was 50.

Woodblock Prints by Hao Ping

Daughters of Mountain, 1992
copyright Hao Ping

Knocking at the Door

For this design made in 1998 we received a description by Hao Ping:

Hao Ping said that the female person depicted on this image represents a woman from Tibet. For the Chinese, Tibet is a place full of mystery, and for the Tibetans, the outside world is also very mysterious. Thus there is a door between two worlds. The Tibetans want to open the door to see outside, and the Chinese want to do the same to see inside.

Edition size was 180 plus circa 20 A.P.

Woodblock Prints by Hao Ping

Knocking at the Door, 1998
copyright Hao Ping

Pray

"Pray" was made in 1991 in an edition size of 50. It shows a Tibetan woman. Many of the Chinese artists have a kind of "craze" for everything Tibetan. It is a bit like the passion of Europeans in the late 19the century for everything Japanese.

Woodblock Prints by Hao Ping

Pray, 1991
copyright Hao Ping

Dance of Hand

In China, there is a Bodhisattva named Kwan-yin who is considered to be very powerful. One of his statues shows Kwan-yin with numerous different hand poses. The yellow and red colors of the dancers express vigor and power and therefore cannot be rejected.

Edition size was 50 and the design is from 1995.

Woodblock Prints by Hao Ping

Dance of Hand, 1995
copyright Hao Ping

There are more designs by Hao Ping in this style. If my time schedule will allow it, I will publish all designs that have been sold by artelino. Somehow I have the feeling that the pioneer activities of my company in modern Chinese prints have something unique and that I should contribute to the documentation of the early phase of modern Chinese printmaking.

In the meantime you can find more of Hap Ping's designs in our Art Archive of sold art objects.

Author: Dieter Wanczura
(May 2009)

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