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Biography |
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Ren Zhenyu was born in Tianjin in 1976. He graduated in 1999 from the Oil Painting Department at Tianjin Academy of Fine Art where he is currently working as lecturer. Since the beginning of his career his great talent has been recognized and appreciated by galleries and collectors throughout China. More recently he also has gained fame in Europe, especially through his portrait series of two historical icons: Andy Warhol and Chairman Mao. In this series, Ren plays with colours and China’s most famous image, expressing his own abstract-expressionist interpretation of the Chairman’s face portrayed from different angles. Far from neo-realism, he belongs to the trend of pop-political art and by choosing Mao his subject, Ren attempts not only to celebrate Mao’s image from a contemporary perspective, but he also aims to reconcile some very dolorous and uncomfortable memories. In his work, Ren alludes to the profound political changes that have been taking place in China since Mao’s death (the same year the artist was born) and to the constant need for Chinese artists to connect themselves to the past. |
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Exhibitions |
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2008 |
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Ren Zhenyu Solo Exhibition, Drs Willem Kerseboom Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
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2008 |
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Scope Basel 2008 artfair, Willem Kerseboom Gallery |
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2008 |
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Another portrait, Willem Kerseboom Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
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2007 |
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Another Portrait, Beijing, Singapore and Hong Kong |
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2007 |
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Solo Exhibition "Looks Just Beautiful", Joyce Gallery, Hong Kong |
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2007 |
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Ju Shata –2007 New Elite Award, Beijing |
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2007 |
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Amsterdam International Gallery Exposition, Netherlands |
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2007 |
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China International Gallery Exhibition, Beijing |
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2007 |
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Solo Exhibition, Beijing |
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2006 |
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Exchanging Group Exhibition, China, Japan, France |
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2005 |
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Solo Exhibition, “In The Name of Face”, Beijing |
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2005 |
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Guangzhou Modern Art Fair, Guangzhou |
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2004 |
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Group Exhibition, 3rd National Oil Painting Exhibition, Beijing |
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2003 |
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The 3rd National Oil Painting Exhibition, Beijing, China |
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2002 |
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Group Exhibition, “New Changes”- Young artist nomination, Tianjin |
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1999 |
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Group Exhibition, 9th National Fine Arts Exhibition |
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