Xu Jianguo, referred to stylistically as Da Diaozi ("Hue Cathcher"), was born in Shanghai in 1951. Straddling the artistic traditions of both Eastern abstract brushwork and Western colour sensibility, he melds both techniques to create works that push the boundaries of contemporary art. Xu's unique medium, the integration of rice paper with Sumi ink and watercolour with canvas, acrylics, and oil paints, testifies to his cross-cultural heritage.
As a youth, Xu studied classical painting and calligraphy under the scholar Ye Zhizhao, a researcher at the Shanghai Literature and History Research Institute. Xu obtained a Bachelors of Arts from the Shanghai Academy of Theater in 1976 and moved to the United States in 1984 to pursue an M.F.A from Bard College. Over the following thirty years, he has developed his artistic career, exploring multi-media disciplines, from his studio in New York City.
The China Pavilion featured Xu Jianguo's handscroll The New Vista of Shanghai for the 2010 Shanghai Expo. From 2010, a solo exhibition sponsored by the US Missions travelled to prominent museums in China, including the Beijing Capital Museum (Fall 2010), Shanghai Art Museum (Spring 2011), Guangdong Provincial Museum (Spring 2012) and National Museum of China (Autumn 2013). His works have been exhibited in the Brooklyn Museum, Smith College, Boston Museum College, and other institutions across the United States. Currently Xu's painting is on view at the Song: The Golden Era of Chinese Aesthetics at Museum of Fine Arts Boston in the United States. Alongside masters of the Song Dynasty such as Ma Yuan, Mi Fu, and Xia Yong, Xu has become the first living artist to be exhibited alongside these masters, sharing the same platform.
Alisan Fine Arts has been working with Xu since 2016 and had his solo exhibition in 2018. We also included his works at the Art Basel Hong Kong in 2016, and Art 021 Shanghai in 2018 and 2023.
BIOGRAPHY
1951 Born in Shanghai, China
1961-66 Studied fine arts at Yie Zehow’s (researcher at Institute of Culture and History) studio in Shanghai; received scholarships
1973-76 BA, Shanghai Academy of Theater, Shanghai, China
1976-84 Stage Designer at the Shanghai Opera House
1984 Masters Program in Fine Arts Bard College, USA; fellowship and full scholarship
1984-85 Art designer at M&M designer studio, New York, USA. Studied at the Art Students League of New York School, USA
1985 Calligraphy commissioned by IBM Magazine
1985-87 MFA, Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts, Bard College, New York, USA
1987 Listed as Guest Artist of the New York Foundation of Art, USA. Inauguration of National Building Museum, gala dinner organized together with Oscar-winning female artist Celesty Holms, Washington DC, USA. Began extensive travel (over 2000 working days) around the world to research the origin, legacy and transformation of Eastern and Western cultures
1991 Studied arts and sites in Xian, Beijing, Sichuan, Guangzhou, China
1994 Went to Singapore and studied bronzes from the tombs of Yi, Marquis of Zeng, and Warring period. Curated solo exhibition for German artist Siegward Sprotte at Shanghai Art Museum and wrote the accompanying preface ‘Bada Shanren of the West’
1994-04 Did research and painted Shanghai for ink on silk handscroll painting in the Song manner（6x48m）
1994-11 Did research and painted Guangzhou for ink on silk in fan-shaped paintings in the Song manner (10 paintings with each diameter 28cm)
1995 Studied Southern Song Guan ware sites in Hangzhou, China. Studied Chinese history of art in Xian and Shanghai, and studied Shanghai Art Museum’s porcelain and painting collections
1996 Studied Western art history in Rome, Florence, Italy. Studied History of painting in Paris, France
1997 Studied of Western art history in Paris, France; Zurich, Switzerland. Studied multiple styles of Tibetan Tanka Painting and its influences in Chengdu, China. Studied the New Archaeological Discoveries of Palace Museum collection in Beijing, China
1998 Studied art history in Madrid, Barcelona, Spain
1999 Studied art history in Munich and Amsterdam
2003 Travelled 11 cities in Europe to study history of art
2004 Studied German art in Berlin, Germany
2004-08 Did research and painted Shanghai ink & Chinese colour on silk handscroll in the Song manner
2004-10 Design and supervised the largest private eastern scholar garden in New York
2007 Invited to attend art acclamation activity of “Potsdam 2010”, Germany
2010 Received the prize of honuor on art communication between China and America by the US State Department
2013 Guest Professor, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
2015 Exclusive Interview, included in the book Interview with 40 Masters of Arts & Culture, Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018
2023
Art021, Alisan Fine Arts, Shanghai Exhibition Centre, Shanghai, China
Song: The Golden Era of Chinese Aesthetics, Paul and Helen Bernat Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, US
2022
