Edutainment > Yunnan Artists

Yunnan Artists I

Chinese Prints - Home
Lu Runeng, May - 1998
copyright Lu Runeng

Over the last 10-20 years, contemporary Chinese artists from the Southern province of Yunnan have acquired great fame as a flourishing art center - especially for modern art prints. First exhibitions have been held outside China. Western art critics and museum curators are beginning to speak of the "Yunnan Art School".

The images on this page are link-sensitive and take you to other articles or web sites in which you might be interested.

Artists from Yunnan

On this page artelino introduces some of the artists of the Yunnan Art School. This is only a small selection of course.

Hao Ping - born 1952

Yunnan Artists II

Hao Ping - Biography
Hao Ping, Pray - 1991
copyright Hao Ping

Hao Ping was born in Yunnan in China. In 1980 he graduated from the Department of Fine Art of Yunnan Art College. He is one of the figure heads of the Yunnan Art School. Hao Ping had several exhibitions outside China - in Japan, USA, France and Germany. His works are in the possession of museums in the USA and in Japan. Hao Ping's prints are made in woodcut technique with thick, bright oil colors.

The artist's favorite subjects are women in gorgeous costumes from the ethnic minority people in Yunnan. He uses flat, large areas, sometimes of nearly cubist forms. But his designs remain always very figurative. Art friends who like strong colors, will get passionate with Hao Ping art works.

Lu Runeng - born 1940

Yunnan Artists III

Lu Runeng - Biography
Lu Runeng, Spinning - 1990
copyright Lu Runeng

Lu Runeng was born in Kunming in Yunnan province. In 1995 he graduated from Sichuan Fine Art Academy. Presently he works as a painter of the Qujing Art Institute.

The print on display, titled "Spinning" won the Golden Prize of the 10th National Chinese Print Exhibition in 1990.

Ma Li - born 1958

Yunnan Artists IV

Ma Li Biography
Ma Li, Colors of Mountains, 2003
copyright Ma Li

Ma Li was born in Yunnan Province, China. Since 1986 he has exhibited widely in China, Japan and also in the UK. The artist works primarily in the woodcut reduction print technique. His work is very colorful and depicts the life of the rural minority communities in Yunnan. Ma Li teaches at the Simao University and has held workshops in woodblock reduction technique in Bristol, UK.

Favorite motifs of Ma Li are mountains and its inhabitants. He has been attracted by mountains since he was a child. For him they are a place of mystery and fascination. In Yunnan with mountains as high as 6,000 meters - one of them has never been conquered by man yet - Ma Li finds the perfect environment for his inspirations.

Shi Yi - born 1939

Yunnan Artists V

Shi Yi - Biography
Shi Yi, Winter Moon, 1999
copyright Shi Yi

Shi Yi is professor at Yunnan Art College. His media is the woodcut. The printing technique used by him, is wet water printing, a specifically Chinese method that produces watercolor-like image. Shi Yi belongs to the major representatives of Yunnan Art School. His works are not only in Chinese museums, but in some major Western museums as well. The artist has exhibited in the U.S.A. and in Europe.

The world of Shi Yi is the subtropical scene in Southern Yunnan along the Mekong river. His images take us to a perfect and intact environment and make us dream of Shangri La. Is it a dream or does Shangri La exist?

Yang Yongsheng - born 1967

by Yang Yongsheng
Yunnan Artists VI

Yang Yongsheng - Biography
Lake at far Distance, 1991
copyright Yang Yongsheng

Yang Yongsheng was born in Yujing, Yunnan province. He graduated from the Print Department of Yunnan Fine Art Academy. Presently he is director of Qujing Print Institute. His art works are in Chinese and Japanese museums. Yang Yongsheng received awards at art exhibitions in Yunnan and in Canada.

By spring time of 2004, we at artelino have seen only three prints by Yang Yongsheng. They are characterized by vibrant designs and color combinations. Yang Yongsheng print images create moods. Hasui Kawase would have liked them. (...and would have bought them in artelino auctions - smile!)

Zhang Xiaochun - born 1959

Yunnan Artists VII

Zhang Xiaochun - Biography
Zhang Xiaochun, Go Out, 1996
copyright Zhang Xiaochun

Zhang Xiaochun was born in Mojiang, in Yunnan province. In 1980 he graduated from Simao Art School (Yunnan) and in 1984 from Yunnan Fine Art Academy. The artist has received several outstanding, national Chinese awards. His art works are in the collections of several Chinese art museums.

Zhang Xiaochun works in different styles. Some of his art works remind of French Fauvism or German Expressionism. We at artelino like especially his depictions of tribal people in yellow-brown-red colors. We have never seen anything similar before.

Dieter Wanczura
(April 2004, updated November 2009)

	Web www.artelino.com

The images on this web site are the property of the artist(s) and or the artelino GmbH and/or a third company/institution.  Reproduction, public display and any commercial use of these images, in whole or in part, require the expressed written consent of the artist(s) and/or the artelino GmbH. . 

Please visit our new site for traditional Tibetan rugs and more Himalayan arts and crafts.