BAN HUA: Chinese Woodblock Prints Post-1980 by RoninGallery

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Ban Hua 画

Chinese Woodblock Prints Post-1980

Ban Hua Chinese Woodblock Prints Post-1980 Prints from a European Collection and the Studio of Gu Zhijun

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Ban Hua : A Brief History To create a woodblock print, the carver cuts the negative design out of a flat wooden surface, allowing the intended image to extend into space. He or she then evenly applies ink to the face of the woodblock and presses a damp sheet of paper or fabric against the surface, smoothing it with a flat-sided tool. Once the block is lifted, the printed image is revealed. This process is repeated for each color. As one of the oldest forms of image making, woodblock printing can be traced back to antiquity across innumerable cultures. This technique originated in China and developed over thousands of years. Spreading throughout Asia, this technique shaped both literary and visual culture, and continues to serve as a critical form of artistic expression. In China, evidence of woodblock printing can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. Yet, it was the introduction of Buddhism in the 1st century that had a profound influence on the history of Chinese printmaking. Considered an act of tremendous devotion in the Buddhist tradition, the practice of copying and disseminating Buddhist teachings sparked the development of printing techniques. Maturing in the Tang Dynasty, Chinese printing technology spread along with Buddhism to Korea and Japan. The earliest known printed texts in Japan took the form of one million Buddhist sutras, commissioned by the Empress Koken in 764 C.E. During the Song Dynasty, woodblock printing evolved from simple lines and monochrome texts to the more complex techniques that made color printing possible. While Buddhist materials continued to dominate printed works, subjects broadened

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to include classic works of Chinese literature, poetry and secular illustrations. The rapid urbanization and commercialization of the Ming dynasty caused city populations to surge and a new class of merchants and more wealthy urban dwellers to emerge. Literacy rates increased, spurring the market demand for books. With the potential for complex polychromatic compositions, the woodblock print technology evolved to fit its evolving role in Chinese culture. As the popularity of woodblock prints continued to grow, artist specific patronage fostered the development of famous workshops, each with distinctive regional styles. Most well known of these was the Taohuawu workshop, located in Suzhou, the prosperous commercial center of Southeastern China. Home to some of the greatest artists, poets and calligraphers of the time, the city’s artistic style became known for its elegance and was loved by both the educated literati and common people. Nianhua, or prints produced in celebration of the Chinese New Year, were especially popular. Other themes included famous landscapes, scenes and stars from the Peking Opera, and folklore. The prosperity of printmaking studios peaked in the 17th century. During this period, Suzhou artists could produce up to one million prints per year to be sold across China, though few survive today. In subsequent centuries, wars, rebellions, famine, and social and political unrest devastated the printmaking studios. As people fled from cities during the chaos, studios lost their artisans and customers alike. Suzhou’s Taohuawu district was no exception; the district was burned down during the Boxer

Rebellion in the late 1800s and lost most of its once-flourishing workshops. Even though some print shops remained in the foreign concessions in Shanghai, relatively safe from the war and upheavals, the future of Chinese printmaking seemed bleak. In the early 1900s, many intellectuals began to call for westernization and cultural revival. Lu Xun, considered the father of modern Chinese literature, was impressed by Japanese ukiyo-e prints when he studied in Japan. Inspired by these works, he began to call for a revival of the Chinese printmaking tradition. Lu Xun advocated the original and creative nature of the art, drawing on the Japanese Sosaku hanga, or creative print movement, in which artists designed, carved, and printed the blocks themselves. These prints reveled in the new, the modern, and the artists’ individuality. Simultaneously, artists began to experiment with Western techniques, such as intaglio and etching. Though previously excluded from classical Chinese arts, printmaking began to garner respect as a powerful form of artistic expression. As governmental power shifted in China in 1949, the majority of the country’s resources were devoted to the development of a communist nation. Printmaking became the domain of propaganda and

promotion of the communist cause. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, printmaking and other creative activities were suppressed as artists, writers and intellectuals were widely persecuted. The Cultural Revolution stands as one of the bleakest periods in modern Chinese history. Yet, at the end of this era, the artists who had escaped persecution returned to their mediums, joined by many new talents. Since the 1980s, China and its artists have searched for a new direction. The artistic community has witnessed both a revival of traditional printmaking methods as well as new, innovative explorations in Western methods. The famous Taohuawu workshop still produces traditional woodblock prints of superior quality, but also experiments with contemporary themes. Furthermore, art academies have solidified printmaking programs for talented students, familiarizing them with different techniques and artistic traditions. As China thrives and the art market grows, Chinese prints are attracting growing global interest from museums and collectors. In a time of radical new mediums and methods, we now see young artists looking to the past and rediscovering the potential inherent in one of the oldest forms of image making: Ban Hua, woodblock prints.

Timeline Warring States Period Han Dynasty Tang Dynasty Song Dynasty Yuan Dynasty Ming Dynasty Qing Dynasty Republican Period People’s Republic of China • Mao Era/Cultural Revolution • Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

c. 475 – 221 BCE 206 B.C.E – 20 C.E. 581 – 907 960 – 1279 1271 – 1369 1368 – 1644 1644 – 1911 1912 – 1949 1949 – Present 1949 – 1976 1978 – Present

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Works From a European Collection As China loosened repressive policies, the country experienced an inpouring of international influence and an outpouring of individualized expression during the last two decades of the 20th century. Growing liberalization allowed Chinese artists to create their own creative styles, methods and ideologies. As China booms, so does its art scene. Today, Chinese prints are avidly collected, and highly valued, worldwide. The following prints come from an important European collection, acquired over the past 30 years. Spanning province, school and style, this selection of woodblock prints reveals the distinctly modern expression channeled through this traditional medium post-1980.

Chen Long 陈龙 (b. 1971) As a part of the Bei Da Huang Art School, Chen Long evokes his home in Northeastern China through bright colors and large formats. Born in Heilongjiang, he joined the Department of Graphic Arts at the Central Academy of Fine Art in 1993. Chen Long’s work has been exhibited in China, Japan, and Europe. He is a member of the Heilongjiang Artists Association, Heilongjiang Provincial Printmaker’s Institute, and Chinese Artists Association.

Chen Yuqiang 陈聿强 (b. 1938) With works in the British Museum, Chinese Art Museum, and Chinese Print Museum, Chen Yuqiang is a leader in Contemporary Chinese printmaking. Combining woodblock and silkscreen, he treads the boundaries of tradition and innovation, the styles of East and West. Born in Zhejiang Province, he graduated from the Department of Printmaking at 6

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the Chinese Art Academy, where he is now a professor.

Fang Limin 方利民 (b. 1964) Born in Zhejiang province, Fang Limin attended China National Academy of Fine Art’s School of Education (1989) and woodblock print program (1999). After graduation, he took a teaching position in the printmaking department. In 1997, Fang Limin was one of the 60 Contemporary Chinese printmakers selected for the Muban Foundation collection in London, the first effort to introduce these artists to a Western audience. Today, he serves as the vice director of the printmaking department at the China National Academy of Fine Arts.

Hao Boyi 郝伯义 (b. 1938) A principal artist of the Bei Da Huang Art School, Hao Boyi captures the unique landscape and animal inhabitants of this remote Northeastern province. Since the 1950s, the Bei Da Huang region has been transitioning into an active agricultural area. Through the velvety saturations, earthy browns, and fleeting pastels, Hao Boyi’s prints reveal the life that now thrives in what was once considered a wasteland of China. He has won many awards, both in China and abroad, and now serves as the director of the China Artists Association.

Hao Ping 郝平 (b. 1952) Widely exhibited in China, Japan, Europe and the U.S., Hao Ping is a visionary of Chinese printmaking. Born in Yunnan Province, his prints consider the culture and experience of the ethnic minorities of Southeast China.

Through the use of bold color, geometric composition, and varying levels of abstraction, Hao Ping has a distinct style that reflects that of the Yunnan Art School. His works can be found in the collections of the China Fine Art Museum, The Asia Pacific Museum (U.S.), and the British Woodcut Foundation.

Li Yitai 李以泰 (b. 1944) Raised in Shanghai, Li Yitai began his artistic training in 1956 at the Zhejiang Fine Art Academy. Following graduation, he stayed with the school as a professor. He works in a specific woodblock technique known as water printing. These prints have a watercolor-like effect, achieved by wetting the paper before the color is applied. In addition, Li Yitai acts as the vice president of the Zhejiang Printmakers Association and belongs to the Chinese Art Association. His works have been exhibited internationally and belong to the permanent collection of the British Museum.

Liu Chunhai 刘纯海 (b. 1966) Though Liu Chunhai lives and works in Beijing, his large format prints capture the frosty world of his home province, Heilongjiang. Amidst a tangible chill and blanketed snow, he presents the inhabitants of China’s northernmost province as fragile against the immensity of nature. Each mark is deliberate, each color used sparingly, employing a quality of negative space so intrinsic to Chinese artistic tradition. Liu Chunhai attended the Harbin Teacher Training School, has participated in solo and group exhibitions, and is collected worldwide.

Lu Ping 卢平 (b.1961) Joining the Suzhou Taohuawu Woodcut Printmaking School in 1979, Lu Ping developed an international audience by 1983. Exhibiting his work in Italy, Canada, Japan, Sweden and the U.S., his work holds a universal appeal. Raised in Suzhou, many of Lu Ping’s works present

the winding canals and countless bridges of his hometown.

Shi Yi 史一 (b. 1939) Born in Shanghai, Shi Yi is one of most well known Contemporary Chinese printmakers. Celebrated for his technically stunning prints of village life and rural China, he has garnered an international following. Shi Yi graduated from the China Academy of Art in 1965 with a degree in woodblock printing. He went on to become a professor at the Yunnan Arts University, serving also as the vice president of the Arts department and the head of the Prints Teaching and Research Office.

Yang Yongsheng 杨永胜 (b. 1967) With work spanning painting, printmaking and installations, Yang Yongsheng is one the most versatile Contemporary Chinese artists. Born in Qujing City, Yunnan Province, he attended the Yunnan Fine Art Academy and became the director of the Qujing Print Institute. In 2004, he accepted a full scholarship from the Ford Foundation to complete his Masters of Fine Arts at University of Hawaii. His prints can be found in museum collections from Japan to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Yu Chengyou 于承佑 (b. 1953) Yu Chengyou, born in Shandong province, is one of today’s most popular Chinese printmakers at home and abroad. His early prints create a strongly traditional atmosphere as he depicts vases, bowls, and fans against a backdrop of calligraphic classical poetry. Since 2000, Yu Chengyou’s focus has shifted to the natural beauty of the Chinese landscape. He serves as deputy director of the Heilongjiang Province Art Museum and is a member of the China Artists Association.

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Blue Fantasy Chen Long

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: A.P. Date: 1995 Signature: Chen Long Size: 17” x 21” Ref. #: CNR2-16863

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The Yellow River Chen Yuqiang

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: A.P. Date: 1981 Signature: Chen Yuqiang Size: 11” x 16.25” Ref. #: CNR2-16876

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White Wintersweet Fang Limin

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 38/60 Date: 2003 10

Signature: Fang Limin Size: 15.75” x 12” Ref. #: CNR2-16848

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Lunar Year Green Hao Boyi

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 6/30 Seal: Boyi

Signature: Hao Boyi Size: 31” x 24” Ref. #: CNR2-16815 roningallery.com | 212.688.0188

Visiting

Hao Ping Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 64/180 Date: 1998 Signature: Hao Ping Size: 23.5” x 23.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16853

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Fetching the Water Hao Ping

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 37/50 Date: 1994 Signature: Hao Ping Size: 23.25” x 23.25” Ref. #: CNR2-16858

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Reflection of the Boat on Silver Lake Li Yitai

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 12/150 Signature: Li Yitai Size: 19.25” x 19.25” Ref. #: CNR2-16811

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Xihu Nostalgia Li Yitai

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 14/150 Signature: Li Yitai Size: 19.25” x 19.25” Ref. #: CNR2-16807

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Pure World Liu Chunhai

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 1/8 Date: 1989 Signature: Liu Chunhai Size: 33” x 28.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16817

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After Autumn Liu Chunhai

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 1/2 Date: 1988 Signature: Liu Chunhai Size: 20” x 19.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16820

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Autumn - 12 Lu Ping

Medium: Woodblock Print Date: 2002 Seal: Lu Ping Signature: Lu Ping Size: 11” x 15.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16805

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Sunset in Suzhou Lu Ping

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: II 57/100 Date: 1997 Seal: Lu Ping Signature: Lu Ping Size: 13.25” x 19.25” Ref. #: CNR2-16793

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Bixi, Suzhou Lu Ping

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: II 58/150 Date: 1996 Seal: Lu Ping Signature: Lu Ping Size: 12” x 17.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16792

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Spring in Jiangnan Lu Ping

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: II 39/200 Date: 1995 Seal: Lu Ping Signature: Lu Ping Size: 11.75” x 16” Ref. #: CNR2-16801

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Spring Rain Lu Ping

Medium: Woodblock Print Date: 2002 Seal: Lu Ping Signature: Lu Ping Size: 11” x 16.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16784

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Homes along the River Shi Yi

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 50/99 Date: 1998

Signature: Shi Yi Size: 25.75” x 20.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16777 roningallery.com | 212.688.0188

Hani Mill Shi Yi

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 12/100 Date: 1999 Signature: Shi Yi Size: 24” x 24” Ref. #: CNR2-16771

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Winter Moon Shi Yi

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 31/100 Date: 1999 Signature: Shi Yi Size: 24” x 22” Ref. #: CNR2-16758

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Going Home

Yang Yongsheng Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 4/20 Date: 1998 Signature: Yang Yongsheng Size: 17” x 16.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16869

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Flower Waves Yang Yongsheng

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 20/20 Date: 1999 Signature: Yang Yongsheng Size: 16.25” x 17.25” Ref. #: CNR2-16866

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Moonlight at Wetland Yu Chengyou

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: A.P. Date: 1999 Signature: Yu Chengyou Size: 27.5” x 31.25” Ref. #: CNR2-16829

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Autumn is Here Yu Chengyou

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 7/50 Date: 2001 Seal: Yu Chengyou Hua

Signature: Yu Chengyou Size: 31.25” x 23.25” Ref. #: CNR2-16824

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The Erhu (Chinese musical instrument) Yu Chengyou

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 18/150 Date: 1991 Seal: Yu Chengyou Signature: Yu Chengyou Size: 20” x 20” Ref. #: CNR2-16845

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Tea

Yu Chengyou Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 24/30 Date: 1991 Seal: Yu Chengyou Signature: Yu Chengyou Size: 17.5” x 17.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16839

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Calligraphy Yu Chengyou

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 20/150 Date: 1991 Seal: Yu Chengyou Signature: Yu Chengyou Size: 17.5” x 17.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16834 32

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Affection of the Banyan Tree Yu Chengyou

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 15/150 Date: 1996 Seal: Chengyou Signature: Yu Chengyou Size: 20.5” x 19.5” Ref. #: CNR2-16842 roningallery.com | 212.688.0188

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Works From the Studio of Gu Zhijun Gu Zhijun 顾志军 (b. 1961) Juxtaposing the traditional with the contemporary, Gu Zhijun creates inventive prints that link the past to the present. Born in Suzhou in 1961, his passion for art developed as a child. By 1979, he joined the Taohuawu Woodblock Printmaking Society, where he studied traditional printmaking techniques under the famous artist Ye Jin. Over twenty years of traditional study and creative exploration, Gu Zhijun developed his highly personalized and distinctive style. Greatly respected as a founder of the new wave of Chinese creative prints, he has been selected for major exhibitions, publications and awards, both within China and abroad. Gu Zhijun is a member of the China Artists Association and the China Printmakers Association. He serves as director of the Jiangsu Province Artists Association, vice secretary-general of the Suzhou Artists Association, and is ranked as a “First Class Artist” by the Chinese government.

Selected Exhibitions and Awards 1992 1996 1999 2000 2002 2004 2007 2009 2012

Sun, Moon, and Stars selected for Contemporary Chinese Print exhibition celebrating the 60th Anniversary of China’s New Print Movement Talking about the Past and Discussing the Present selected for National Print Exhibition, won Second Place A New Account of the Tales of the World selected for the 9th National Artwork Exhibition, won the Award of Excellence Comes at Dawn, Leaves at Dusk selected for the 15th National Print Works Exhibition, won Third Place Soft-Spoken Wu Dialect selected for the 16th National Print Exhibition, won Second Place Tale of Fashion selected for the 17th national Print Works Exhibition, won Third Place Tale of Fashion selected for the first Guanlan International Print Biennial, won “Guanlan International Print Award” The Boat Arrived Beneath the Bridge won Nomination Prize at the 11th National Art Exhibition Town Surrounded by Water in my Dreams selected for Shilin International Print Exhibition

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Bridge

Gu Zhijun Medium: Mixed Media Edition: 1/1 Seal: Gu

Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 15” x 11.25” Ref. #: CH039 roningallery.com | 212.688.0188

Late Autumn in Jiang Nan Gu Zhijun

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 192/200 Date: 1988 Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 23” x 19” Ref. #: CH018 36

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The Small Town Under the Roof #1 Gu Zhijun

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: A.P. Date: 1993 Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 23.25” x 19.5” Ref. #: CH022 roningallery.com | 212.688.0188

Riverbank Gu Zhijun

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 114/200 Date: 1989 Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 19.5” x 25” Ref. #: CH020

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Bridge 3

Gu Zhijun Series: Bridge Series Medium: Mixed Media Edition: 25/30 Date: 2001 Seal: Gu Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 15” x 11.25” Ref. #: CH040

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Chasing Dreams in Jiang Nan Gu Zhijun

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 14/50 Date: 2012 40

Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 30” x 23” Ref. #: CH038

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Peony Pavilion Gu Zhijun

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 8/15 Date: 2010 Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 34.75” x 16.75” Ref. #: CH021 roningallery.com | 212.688.0188

The Town Under the Roof #2 Gu Zhijun

Medium: Etching Edition: 7/50 Date: 2002 Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 16.75” x 20.75” Ref. #: CH024

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Home Bridge Gu Zhijun

Medium: Etching Edition: 46/50 Date: 1997 Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 6.5” x 7.5” Ref. #: CH027

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Scenery of Suzhou Gu Zhijun

Medium: Etching Edition: 39/50 Date: 1997 Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 9” x 12.25” Ref. #: CH028

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Scenes of Hometown #1 Gu Zhijun

Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: A.P. Date: 1992 Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 11” x 14.75” Ref. #: CH029

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Year of the Rabbit Gu Zhijun

Series: Chinese Zodiac Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 704/3888 Date: 2010 46

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Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 16.5” x 11.5” Ref. #: CH046

Year of the Rat Gu Zhijun

Series: Chinese Zodiac Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 704/3888 Date: 2007

Seal: Gu Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 16.5” x 11.75” Ref. #: CH041 roningallery.com | 212.688.0188

Year of the Sheep Gu Zhijun

Series: Chinese Zodiac Medium: Woodblock Print Edition: 21/3888 Date: 2014 48

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Seal: Gu Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 16.25” x 11.25” Ref. #: CH043

Stone Gate Gu Zhijun

Medium: Gu Zhijun Edition: 10/30 Date: 2001

Signature: Gu Zhijun Size: 21.5” x 14” Ref. #: CNR2-6710 roningallery.com | 212.688.0188

RONIN GALLERY 425 Madison Ave New York, NY 10017 212.688.0188 www.roningallery.com ronin@roningallery.com Chairman: Herbert Libertson President: David Libertson Executive Director: Roni Neuer Director: Tomomi Seki Gallery Associate: Travis Suzaka Research Assistant: Madison Folks Gallery Assistant: Runting Song Gallery Assistant: Akane Yanagisawa

For additional information on any print, please visit RoninGallery.com 50

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