Qiu Deshu

1948-2020, Shanghai China

Introduction

Qiu Deshu was born in 1948 in Shanghai, China. He founded Grass Grass Group, a group of twelve artists dedicated to promote artistic originality in 1979. In 1982, he discovered the cracks in adversity and henceforth affirmed fissuring as his artistic language and philosophic basis. A few years later, he became an artist in residence at Tufts University. He created a monumental mural in the new building of its campus center. In 1986, he established himself as a professional painter. Two years later, he was invited to lecture at the John King Fairbank Centre of Harvard University. Additionally, in 1996, he was invited to lecture at the Art Department of the University of Arizona, USA. He was listed in Chinese Ink Art Year Book 2020 published by Beijing's Culture and Art Publisher in 2021. He currently lives and works in Shanghai, China.


SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2013   
  • The Fissuring World of Qiu Deshu, Pudong Airport Terminal 2, Shanghai, China
2012   
  • Qiu Deshu, Michael Goedhuis Gallery, London, UK
  • Bi Cities Exhibitions of Chinese New Painting, Qiu Deshu-Fission, Art Center, Hangzhou, China
2011   
  • New Works by Fission, Shanghai Grand Theater Gallery, Shanghai, China
2010   
  • Fissuring, Buildings & Courtyard Latest works from Qiu Deshu Exhibition, Shanghai Wu Chang Shuo Museum, Shanghai, China
2008   
  • Fissuring, Qiu Deshu, SMYH Gallery, Beijing, China
  • Fissuring, Qiu Deshu Water-Ink Exhibition, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2007   
  • Qiu Deshu, Ten years after Grass Grass Group, Shanghai Duolun Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai, China
  • Fissuring, Landscape, New Works From Qiu Deshu Exhibition, Leda Fletcher Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland; Shanghai, China
2006   
  • Chinese Contemporary Art-Qiu Deshu, Frankfurt, Germany
2005   
  • Fissuring Qiu Deshu New Works, Changliu Art Museum, Taiwan
2004   
  • Fissuring Contemporary Chinese Art From Qiu Deshu, Fletcher Art Museum, Geneva, Switzerland
  • Fissuring Qiu DeShu’s New Paintings, Hai Shang Shan Art Center, Shanghai, China
2003   
  • Fissuring Qiu Deshu, Goedhuis Contemporary, New York, USA
2000   
  • Fissuring Qiu Deshu, Courtyard Gallery, Beijing, China; Asian Art Museum, Seoul, South Korea
1999   
  • Fissuring Qiu Deshu, Consulate General of Germany, Shanghai, China
1994   
  • Fissuring, Panlong Art Centre, Taiwan
  • Fissuring The Paintings of Qiu Deshu, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
1993   
  • Fissuring Qiu Deshu, Shanghai Center, Shanghai, China
1992   
  • Fissuring, Maroochy and Noosa Regional Gallery, Queensland, Australia
  • Fissuring, Lommel Gallery, Leverkusen, Germany
1988   
  • Qiu Deshu Retrospective Exhibition 1981-88, The Art Waves Gallery, New York, USA
  • Fissuring, John King Fairbank Center, Harword University, USA
1986   
  • Fissuring, Chinese Culture Institute, Boston, USA
1985   
  • Fissuring, The Campus of Harvard University; The Art Gallery of Tufts University, USA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 

  • Thinking with the Senses: Inaugural, Dacheng Art Museum, Changzhou, China

2020  
  • Ink Sky: Exhibition of Chinese Ink Art Year Book 2020, An Art Museum, Beijing, China
2019  
  • Arts of China: New Acquisitions, Asian Galleries, Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA
  • Inquiry on Water: Exhibition & International Symposium, Suning Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2018   

  • Beyond Ink: 20th China Shanghai International Arts Festival Program, China Art Museum, Shanghai, China

2016   
 2013   
  • Black and White: Chinese Contemporary Abstract Ink, Pearl Lam Fine Art, Shanghai, China
  • The Second Reconstructing Oriental Beauty Painting Exhibition-Contemporary Life: Aspiration in Ink and Wash, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China
  • Tension of White Line, Modern Ink Painting Exhibition, China;  Taiwan; Hong Kong
  • Light before Pawn Unofficial Chinese Art 1974-1985, Asia Society Hong Kong Center, Hong Kong, China
  • Insightful Charisma, Shanghai Himalayan Museum, Shanghai, China
2012   
  • Taste of the East Masterpieces of Chinese Art, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
  • International Ink Painting Exhibition and Symposium, Chung Shan National Gallery; National Dr.Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
  • Ink: The New Ink Art from China, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
  • Tension of White String, Zhu Qizhan Art Museum, Shanghai, China; Hsinchu, Taiwan
  • Context China, Sanchuan Modern Art Museum, Nanjing, China
  • Shang China CEIBS Contemporary Art Exhibition, Melbourne, Australia
2011   
  • Ink Reproduction: World Tour of Contemporary Ink Painting, Chinese Culture Center, Berlin, Germany; Singapore; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Blooming in the Shadows: Unofficial Chinese Art 1974-1985, China Institute, New York, USA
  • A New Horizon of Contemporary Chinese Art, National Museum of China, Beijing, China; National Museum of Australia, Australia
2011   
  • Chinese Context Super Freehand 10 + 10, Beijing Museum of Contemporary, Beijing, China
  • Fragrant Hill Museum, Beijing, China
2010   
  • Age of Water-Ink Art - New Water-Ink Art Grand Exhibition, Shanghai Duolun Contemporary Art Museum, Zhu Qizhan Art Museum, Spring Art Salon, Shanghai, China
  • Crossing Asia and Europe - Dialog of Civilization (Paris-Shanghai) Contemporary Art from Chinese and French Artists Grand Exhibition, Zhejiang Art Museum, Hangzhou; Expo Theme Pavilion, Shanghai, China; Paris Senior Art Institute, Paris, France
  • Contemporary Chinese Ink Brush Painting, Morlan Gallery, Arkansas, USA
2009   
  • Chinese Ink Painting: Change and Growth I, Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China
  • Zhujiajiao Art Museum, Shanghai, China
  • Open and Change, Creative Water-Ink Art Exhibition, Taipei Fine Art Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
2008   
  • Chinese Blue Arts Festival, Malmö, Sweden
  • Turn to Abstract-Retrospective of Shanghai Experimental Art from 1976 to 1985, Shanghai Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China
  • New Ink: Chinese Contemporary Ink Art, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China; Dresden, Germany
  • Story of Ink - Contemporary Artists Nomination Exhibition, Beijing Contemporary Art Museum, China; RAAAB Gallery, Berlin, Germany; Harvard University, USA
2007   
  • The New Face of Ink Paintings – Modern Ink Painting Group Exhibition and Symposium, Sino Group, Hong Kong
  • In Transit - Shanghai New Water-Ink Grand Exhibition, Shanghai Duolun Contemporary Art Museum, Zhu Qizhan Art Museum, Shanghai, China
  • Contemporary Cultural Venation-China Version, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
  • China Onward-Chinese Contemporary Art 1966 – 2006, Lousiana Museum, Denmark
  • OST WEST Dialog I, Kulturaustausch, Haus Metternich, Germany
2006   
  • Rebirth of Water-Ink, Shanghai New Water-Ink Art Exhibition, Zhu Qizhan Art Museum; Shanghai Duolun Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai, China
  • International Contemporary Water-Ink, Manhattan Asian Art Center Gallery, USA
  • 21st Asian International Art, Singapore National Museum, Singapore
  • Chinese Water-Ink Literature Exhibition 1976-2006, Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum; RCM Art Museum, Nanjing, China
  • 1st Taipei International Modern Ink Painting Biennial, National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
2005   
  • Sky Group Human Merge—Liu Guosong, Chen Jialing, Qiu Deshu, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China
  • 25 Years Anniversary of “Grass Grass Group”, Shanghai Hai Shang Shan Art Center, Shanghai, China
  • 2005 Water-Ink Art Exchange Exhibition, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
2004   
  • Protruding Schema, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
  • Shanghai Abstract Art Exhibition, Shanghai Mingyuan Cultural Art Center, Shanghai, China
  • Dreaming of the Dragon’s Nation, Contemporary Art Exhibition from China, Ireland
  • 1st Exhibition of Peninsula Art Center, Peninsula Art Museum, Belmont, USA
2003   
  • Chinese Art Today Grand Exhibition, Beijing World Art Museum, Beijing, China
2002   
  • Rocks and Art, Chambers Fine Art, New York, USA
  • East+West Chinese Contemporary Art, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China; Kunstlerhaus, Vienna, Austria
  • Metaphysics 2002, Shanghai Abstract Art Exhibition, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
  • 1st Guangzhou Triennium, Guangzhou Art Museum, Guangzhou, China
2001   
  • Metaphysics 2001, Shanghai Abstract Art Exhibition, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
  • 1st Chendu Biennale, Chengdu, China
  • Shanghai—Taiwan New Century Water-Ink Dialog, National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
2000   
  • New Chinese Painting Touring Exhibition, Shanghai; Nanjing, China
  • 2nd International Water-Ink Biennale, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
1999   
  • Fantasy 2000—Chinese Contemporary Chinese Painting and Sculpture, Lubeck, Stuttgart, Dortmund, Germany
1998   
  • 1st International Water-Ink Biennale, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
  • 3rd International Exhibition of TSAI-MO Art: Travelling Exhibition, Taiwan; France; El Salvador
1997   
  • Gathering of Innovations, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
  • Shanghai Art, St.Petersburg, Russia
1996   
  • Shanghai Ink, Art Museum of Arizona University, Joseph Gross Gallery of Arizona University, USA
  • TAIPEI Art Fair 1996 International, Taipei, Taiwan
1995   
  • First Kwangju Biennale Beyond the Borders, Kwangju, South Korea
1994   
  • Paintings from Qiu Deshu and Liu Guosong, Zhuhai, China
  • Modern Chinese Water-Ink Art from the Mainland/Taiwan/Hongkong Grand Exhibition, Taichung Provincial Museum; Chung Cheng Art Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
  • East Asian Arts Exchange and Invitation Exhibition, Hong Kong
1993   
  • 20 Years of Sister Relationship between Shanghai and Yokohama, Shanghai Modern Art Exhibition
  • Shanghai - Taipei Modern Water-Ink Exhibition, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
  • First East Asia Games, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
1992   
  • Encountering the Others (K18), Kassel, Germany
1990   
  • The New Generation of Chinese Art, Smith College Art Museum, Northampton, USA
  • Asian Artists, Hong Kong Entertainment Center, Hong Kong
1986   
  • Paintings of the Four Chinese Artists, New York, USA
1984   
  • Qiu Deshu and Kong Baiji, Princeton University Art Museum, USA
1982   
  • Painting the Chinese Dream, Smith College Art Museum, Northampton; Boston City Hall Art Gallery, Boston; Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA
1980   
  • Painting of the Eighties, Luwan Cultural Palace, Shanghai, China

SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, USA
Princeton University Art Museum, USA
The University of Arizona Museum of Art, USA
Sullivan Showroom of Oxford University, UK
Contemporary Art, Dunkerque, France
Origo Family Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland
Rathaus of Hamburg, Germany
Nusa Art Centre, Australia
Asian Art Museum, South Korea
National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Taichong Provincial Art Museum, Taiwan