Nan Qi

1960

Yongkang , Zhejiang

The Chinese ink painter Nan Qi is famed for his three-dimensional images comprised of his eponymous "Nan Qi dots" and interpretations of Chinese cultural icons, including female soldiers, the five-pointed red star, and multi-national bills. Nan Qi's emoji works feature big thumbs, smileys, and roses that are part of our everyday lives. These works resemble Pop art at first glimpse but as you look more carefully the work begins to change from 2-D to 3-D. As in the artist’s own words, “Stare closely at the center of the painting for two minutes. Relax, clear your mind and then slowly move backward, you will experience the 3-D effect of the painting.” He is currently developing a new series of Chinese landscape paintings. Deriving inspiration from ancient masters including Guo Xi from the Song Dynasty and Huang Gongwang from the Yuan Dynasty, Nan Qi has contemporised the historical landscapes with the use of his 3-D dots, resulting in a monochrome, hazy vista that is at once both challenging and cutting edge.

Born in Yongkang, Zhejiang in 1960, Nan Qi was trained in classical landscape ink painting at the People’s Liberation Army Fine Arts Academy in Beijing. Over the years, his subject matter has ranged from mountain landscapes to Chinese cultural icons, and more recently to iconoclastic images of the Visa logo, currency symbols and military parades composed by myriads of overlaid ink dots with an effect of eerie 3-D. He is a member of the Chinese Artists’ Association and currently lives in Beijing.

BIOGRAPHY
1960 Born in Yongkang City, Zhejiang Province, China
1986 Graduated from the Chinese Painting Department, People’s Liberation Army Fine Arts Academy, Beijing, China
2019 Established a studio in Shanghai, China
Present Lives and works in Beijing, China
Member of the Chinese Artists’ Association

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023

Nan Qi Nan Qi, Renke Art, Hangzhou, China
Lei Feng in Yangzhou: Nan Qi's Artistic Research & Exhibition, Lake Cottage, Yangzhou, China
Two Brothers Solo Exhibition, Jindu Art Centre, Beijing, China

2021

Paddy Waves and Nine Peaks, T-art Space, Shanghai, China

2019

Borrowed Landscapes: New Ink by Nan Qi, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
Looking for Lei Feng: A Research on Nan Qi's Art, T-Art, Shanghai, China

2017

Ink.Dot.Pop the Art of Nan Qi, The Luxe Art Museum, Singapore

2016

Art Home: Power of Dots, Green Art Asia, Basel, Switzerland

2015

New Era Ink: An Exhibition of Works by Nan Qi, The Luxe Art Museum, Singapore
Nan Qi Contemporary Ink Exhibition, Art Plural Gallery, Singapore
Art Car: Car, Power, Sex Pop-Up Exhibition, Green Art Asia, Hong Kong

2014

Source Point: Nan Qi Contemporary Ink Exhibition, Shanghai Dingyi Fund, Shanghai, China

2013

Power. Sex. Money. A Solo Exhibition by Nan Qi, Art Plural Gallery, Singapore

2012

London 2012 China Art Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London, United Kingdom

2011

Digital Ink Images: Art by Nan Qi, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Eerie 3-D: 3-D Ink Art by Nan Qi, G-Dot Art Space, Beijing, China

2006

Ink and Sex Series: Works by Nan Qi, Yisulang Art Gallery, Singapore

1998

Landscape and Seascape: Nan Qi Ink Painting Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong

1997

Ink Paintings by Nan Qi, Shanghart Gallery, Shanghai, China

1989

Landscape Paintings by Nan Qi, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023-2024

City Lights: Shanghai Urban Household Gallery Era Special Art Exhibition, Yun Art Centre, Shanghai, China

2023

2022

Language and Speech: An Exhibition Experiment Rooted in Linguistic Structure, Songzhuang Contemporary Art Archive, Beijing, China
Shanghai Urban Contemporary Sculpture and Installation Expo, Shanghai, China

2020

HKAGA Fundraiser 2020 Take 2, Alisan Fine Arts, Christie's VIP Lounge, HOng Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
Ink Painting on Going: 2000-2019, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China
Contemporary Forms of Ink Painting, Art Basel Online Viewing Rooms, Alisan Fine Arts; Alisan Fine Arts-Aberdeen, Hong Kong

2019

Brushing Nature Landscape Paintings, Fine Art Asia, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong

2018

New Ink Art in China 1978-2017, Minsheng Art Museum, Beijing, China
Ink Change: Invitational Exhibition of Experimental Ink Art, Art Museum of School of Fine Arts, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
Tradition and Change: A Dialogue in the Process of Ink Painting, Zhu Qizhan Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Spearhead: Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Ink, Ming Yuan Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Manifesto of Neo-Modern Ink Art, G-Dot Art Space, Beijing, China

2017

2016

Being and Inking: Documenting Contemporary Ink Art 2001-2016, Redtory Museum of Contemporary Art, Guangzhou, China
The Figures in Ink Painting, Art Museum of School of Fine Arts, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
Contemporary Chinese Ink Almanac Exhibition 2015-2016, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
9^th Shenzhen International Ink Biennial, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
1^st Invitational Exhibition of Emei International Contemporary Art, Emei Contemporary Art Museum, Sichuan, China

2015

Like/Not Like: Contemporary Ink Exhibition, Wuhan Art Space, Wuhan, China
Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Art, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India; Bangladesh National Museum, Dhaka, Bangladesh

2014

Western Clouds and Eastern Language: Chinese Contemporary Art Research Exhibition, He Art Museum, Wuhan, China
Ethereal Dimness: New Water Ink Research Series, Avant-Garde Contemporary Art Centre, Nanjing, China
In Retrospect: Contemporary Ink Exhibition, Art Space 21, Shanghai, China

2013

Water and Ink Methods: Chinese Academic Invitational Exhibition, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
Re-Portrait: Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Hubei Museum of Art, Wuhan, China
Ink Articles: The Creation of Cultural Context, Wuhan Art Museum, Wuhan, China
Freehand China: Mostra Degli Artisti Nominati Cina Contemporanea Dei Quadri Ad Inchiostri, Casa Dei Carraresi, Treviso, Italy
Way: Contemporary Ink Art Exhibition, Ming Yuan Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Re-Ink: Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Ink Painting 2000-2012, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
In Retrospect: An Exhibition of Works by Nan Qi, Cai Guangbin and Zhang Quan, G-Dot Art Space, Beijing, China
Re-History: Contemporary Chinese Art Invitational Touring Exhibition, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen; G-Dot Art Space, Beijing; Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
New Dimensions in Ink: 1st Nomination Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Ink, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China

2012

Re-History: Contemporary Chinese Art Invitational Touring Exhibition, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen; Hubei Art Museum, Hubei, China

2011

Art Beijing, Chinese Agricultural Exhibition Centre, Beijing, China

2010

4th Beijing International Art Biennial, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
China International Gallery Expo, China World Trade Centre, Beijing, China
Art Beijing, Chinese Agricultural Exhibition Centre, Beijing, China
Beijing Biennial 2010, Caochangdi Gallery of Art, Beijing, China
Through History Contemporary Art Invitational Exhibition, G-Dot Art Space, Beijing, China

2009

Historical Image Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen; Hubei Art Museum, Hubei; China
International Gallery Expo, China World Trade Centre, Beijing, China
Art Beijing, Chinese Agricultural Exhibition Centre, Beijing, China

2008

3rd Beijing International Art Biennial, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
Songzhuang Life Autumn Exhibition, Songzhuang Art Centre, Beijing, China
Catharsis Invitational Exhibition, JiuChang Art, Beijing, China
Ink/Not Ink: Chinese Contemporary Ink Painting Invitational Exhibition, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen; Today Art Museum, Beijing, China; Kimmel Center of Performing Arts, Philadelphia, United States
6th Shenzhen International Ink Biennial, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
Asia in Harmony: 23rd Asian International Art Exhibition, City Art Museum of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou, China
Contemporary Figurative Chinese Ink Painting Invitational Exhibition, Ming Yuan Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Art Beijing, Chinese Agricultural Exhibition Centre, Beijing, China
Chinese Desires: Li Jin, Wu Yi, Nan Qi, The Luxe Art Museum, Singapore

2007

3rd Chengdu Biennial, Contemporary Art Museum, Chengdu, China
2nd Invitational Exhibition of Songzhuang Ink Painters Society, Songzhuang East Arts Centre, Beijing, China

2006

2nd Exhibition of Chinese Art Today, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
Contemporary Ink Invitational Exhibition, Songzhuang East Arts Centre, Beijing, China
Ink and Sex Invitational Exhibition, Jiuchang Art, Beijing, China
Waves: Contemporary Chinese Ink and Wash Methods, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, Tianjin, China
Chinese Ink and Wash Documenta 1976-2006, Nanjing National Museum, Nanjing, China

2005

2nd Beijing International Art Biennial, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
Extreme Brushwork۰Art Guideline: Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China

2004

New Expressionist: Chinese Ink Painting Invitational Exhibition, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
Ink/Wash and the City: 4th Shenzhen International Ink Painting Biennial, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
New Works by Six New Expressionist Chinese Painters, Yisulang Art Gallery, Singapore

2003

1st Beijing International Art Biennial, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
New Expressionist: Chinese Ink Painting Invitational Exhibition, Yan Huang Art Museum, Beijing, China

2002

3rd Shenzhen International Ink Painting Biennial: Ink/Wash and the City, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China

2000

2nd Shenzhen International Ink Painting Biennial: Ink/Wash and the City, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China

1990

Exhibition of Chinese Paintings by Liu Dawei and Nan Qi, Art Gallery of Changfugong Hotel, Beijing, China

1987

Celebratory Exhibition of 60th Anniversary of People’s Liberation Army, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China

SELECTED AWARDS
2018 Cultural and Artistic Outstanding Contribution Award, International Olympic Committee Samaranch Foundation, Shanghai, China
2003 2nd Golden Prize Exhibition of Chinese Art Excellence Award, Yanhuang Art Museum, Beijing, China
2002 European International Fine Arts Exchange Contribution Award, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2000 Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau 2000 Art Exhibition Best Work Award, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
1999 9th Chinese National Art Exhibition Excellence Award, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
1996 19th Japanese International Art Exhibition Special Association Award, Ginza Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
1988 Great Wall Exhibition Second Prize, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
1987 Celebratory Exhibition of 60th Anniversary of People’s Liberation Army Excellence Award, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China

SELECTED COLLECTIONS
The Luxe Art Museum, Singapore
Foundation of Chinese Art Development, Singapore
National Museum of China, Beijing, China
China Huaneng Group, Beijing, China
Wuhan Art Museum, Wuhan, China
UBS AG Shanghai, China
Consul General of Switzerland in Shanghai, China
Consul General of France in Shanghai, China
Autumn Water Art Foundation, Shanghai, China
Burger Collection, Hong Kong
The Timide Maus Collection Art Foundation, Hong Kong
Lohas Park, Nan Fung, Hong Kong