Chen Danqing
Chen Danqing is a Chinese painter hailed for his intimate “Tibetan Paintings” series that counteracted the dogma of Social Realism by focusing on non-heroic, real life compositions. Danqing began painting as a teenager and focused on the Chinese Civil War. When the Cultural Revolution lifted the ban on travel to Tibet, Danqing explored the nation and rendered its citizens with sensitive, dignified portraiture. These works sought to reflect the beauty of the human spirit rather than industrialization or political upheaval. His later work retained sharp realism, and influenced the Native Soil Painting movement that produced European-style depictions of the Chinese countryside. He moved to the United States in 1982 and rallied around artists like Ai Weiwei whilst living in New York, becoming an outspoken critic of the Communist Party upon his return to China in 2000. He continues to draw prolifically in his sketchbook and focus on realist scenes.
In recent years, Danqing gained major acclaim for his design of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony. He has exhibited internationally at institutions including the Graz Art Museum, Austria, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Groninger Museum, the Netherlands, Asia Society, New York, Shanghai Art Museum, China, and Minsheng Art …
Chen Danqing is a Chinese painter hailed for his intimate “Tibetan Paintings” series that counteracted the dogma of Social Realism by focusing on non-heroic, real life compositions. Danqing began painting as a teenager and focused on the Chinese Civil War. When the Cultural Revolution lifted the ban on travel to Tibet, Danqing explored the nation and rendered its citizens with sensitive, dignified portraiture. These works sought to reflect the beauty of the human spirit rather than industrialization or political upheaval. His later work retained sharp realism, and influenced the Native Soil Painting movement that produced European-style depictions of the Chinese countryside. He moved to the United States in 1982 and rallied around artists like Ai Weiwei whilst living in New York, becoming an outspoken critic of the Communist Party upon his return to China in 2000. He continues to draw prolifically in his sketchbook and focus on realist scenes.
In recent years, Danqing gained major acclaim for his design of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games opening ceremony. He has exhibited internationally at institutions including the Graz Art Museum, Austria, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Groninger Museum, the Netherlands, Asia Society, New York, Shanghai Art Museum, China, and Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, among others.
