Biography
Wei Jia was born in Chengdu, Sichuan in 1975. He graduated from the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1999. Now based in Chongqing, Wei teaches at the Department of Printmaking at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. During his studies at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Wei was awarded several significant honors in the field of printmaking. Between 2003 and 2004, the artist began working with acrylic paint, incorporating into his paintings compositions often found in printmaking pieces. As one of China’s ‘post-70s’ contemporary painters, Wei instilled narratives of youthful and unruly sensitivities in his early works. Since 2010, he began expanding his interest in human nature, focusing on themes of singularity and universality by investigating the relations between the individual and the collective. Wei’s work depicts the fundamental qualities of life. Preexisting contours disintegrate under his dynamic strokes that dance between the figurative and the abstract, reflecting the everchanging, everlasting, and kaleidoscopic forms of life experienced in contemporary realities.
Solo Exhibitions (selection)
2023
Friends in the Arts, Tank Shanghai, Shanghai, China
The Wild Theater—AAC Award of Art China 2023, Shenzhen, China
Paradise—A Case Study of Chinese New Painting, Cycle Space, Beijing, China
I FEEL THE WAY YOU FEEL, Perrotin Gallery, Shanghai, China
A Leisurely Stroll: The Tenth Anniversary of The Long Museum, Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai, China
2022
Strenuous Journey II, Michael Ku Gallery; MANGROVEGALLERY, Taipei; Shenzhen, China
Strenuous Journey I, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, China
2017
On The Forest Trail, Star Gallery, Beijing, China
Sudden Brilliance, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, China
2015 WEI JIA: MILDLY BITING, ENCOUNTERING SPRING, Leo Xu Projects, Shanghai, China 2012 PORTRAIT – Wei Jia solo exhibition, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, China 2011 Dim Light on the Opposite Shore: Wei Jia Solo Exhibition, Star Gallery, Beijing, China 2009 In the Distant Fields and Smoky Woods, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo, Japan Doors to an Alternative World-Wei Jia’s Recent Works, Galerie Frank Schlag & Cie, Germany 2008 Wei Jia 2004-2008, Star Gallery, Beijing, China 2007 If You Could Fly, Where Could You Go?, Aura Gallery, Shanghai, China 2006 An Uncivilized Spring, Star Gallery, Beijing, China
Illuminating the Endless Night, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, China
Group Exhibitions (selection)
2023
Tree of Fire, MANGROVEGALLERY, Shenzhen, China
2022
A Place for Concealment, Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing, China
Myth of Figures, Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
Colourful – The Art of Chinese Colour Printing During Four Centuries, Minsheng Art Museum, Beijing, China
2021
Redefining Ink-Wash Painting: Chinese Contemporary Art Invitational Exhibition, Yuelai Art Museum, Chongqing, China
2020
Painting: Macro, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangdong, China
2019
Singing the Body Electric,David Zwirner, Hong Kong, China
2018
Michael Ku Gallery 10th Anniversary, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, China
2017 Today’s Yesterday — 1st Anren Biennale 2017, Anren, Chengdu, China 2015 In Memory of a Landscape II: Lu Song, Wei Jia and Xie Fan, James Cohan 2014 Landscape of Man, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, China 2013 City Phantasm 2013 Chongqing Youth Art Biennale, Chongqing Art Museum, Chongqing, China 2012 Spin: The First Decade of the New Century, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China 2011 Born in the 70s, LIN & LIN GALLERY, Taipei, China 2010 The Mirror of Time, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, China 2009 CHINA MANIA”, Arken Museum of Modern Art Danish, Copenhagen, Denmark 2008 3rd A+A Exhibition, PIFO New Art Gallery/ Duolun Museum Of Modern Art, Beijing/ Shanghai 2007 Taking off From The West – Contemporary Art of China’s Southwest, Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China 2006 Variant Pictures, China Contemporary Oil Painting Invitation Exhibition, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China 2005 Next Station, Cartoon?, Star Gallery/He Xiangning Art Museum, Beijing/Shenzhen 2004 Ideal of A New Generation – the Chinese New Generation, Gallery of Central Academy of Fine Arts/He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen, China 2003 Eighth Copperplate, Stoneplate, Silk Plate Print Painting Exhibition, Chongqing Art Museum, Chongqing 2002 Sixteenth National Print Painting Exhibition, Anhui International Exhibition & Conference Center, Nanjing, China 2001 7th National Exhibition of Etching, Lithography and Silkscreen, Wuhan 2000 V Triennale Mondiale d’Estampes Petit Format in Chamalieres, France
Reading the Raindrops-Western Artists Documenta, Yinchuan Museum of Contemporary Art, Yinchuan, China
lease fasten your seat belt as we are experiencing some turbulence, LEO XU PROJECTS, Shanghai, China
Gallery, Shanghai, China
Within Sight–Chinese New Painting at Post Financial Crisis Era, Taylor Foundation, Paris, France
The Immortal Scenery, Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
SPECTACLE RECONSTRUCTION – CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ART, MODEM, Centre for Modern and Contemporary Arts, Debrecen, Hungary
Water stains on the wall- The carrier of formation, Zhejiang Art Museum, Zhejiang, China
Shedding – new art from china, Zhong Gallery, Berlin, Germany
“From scenes to scenes of culture” After seventies artist research, Wuhan Art Museum, Wuhan, China
RESHAPING HISTORY: China Art from 2000 to 2009, China National Convention Center, Beijing, China
Thirty Years of Chinese Contemporary Art 1979-2009, Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai, China
The Franks-Suss Collection, The Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
Trans-Realism: Contemporary Art from China, Christie’s Rockefeller Plaza, Now York, USA
Ten Cases Studies of Post-70s Art, Hong Kong Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China
The Kingdom of Denmark Paradise Lost, F.FINE Gallery, Beijing, China
China from Zero to Hero, Star Gallery, Beijing, China
The Disappearance of Nature, J & Z Gallery, Shenzhen
The Game is not Over, Arario Gallery, Beijing
Corresponding: Nanjing-Chengdu, Nanjing Qinghe Current Art Center, Nanjing
Looking for Me, Minsheng Center for Contemporary Art, Shanghai
Strength of Practice – the Second Document of Contemporary Chinese Prints, Nanjing Museum, Nanjing
Ah! We, The National Grand Theatre, Beijing
New Interface–Serching the future, Liu Haisu Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Chen Ke, Li Jikai, Wei Jia, Thomas Erben Gallery, New York, USA
Visual Experiences – Firstly Exhibition, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
China new painting, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Comtemporary presentation – Shanghui Wu jiaochang 800 Art Space Opening Exhibition, Shanghui Wu jiaochang 800 Art Space, Shanghai, China
Adidas ‘Gong Zhen’ Sport in Art, MOCA SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China
Animamix: From Modernity to Eternity, MOCA SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China
Energy – Spirit, Body, Material Today Documentary Exhibition, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
Vision changing – The 2nd Contemporary Chinese Young Printers Nominating Exhibition, Guan-Shan-Yue Art Museum, Shenzhen
The Self-Made Generation – A Retrospective of New Chinese Painting?, Zendai Moma, Shanghai, China
Naughty Kids, Star Gallery, Beijing
Scapes: the ‘Century’ and ‘Paradise’ – The Second Chengdu Biennial, Century City, Chengdu, China
Fushan International Print Paitinging Invitational Exhibition, Fushan, Korea
11th International Biennial Print and Drawing Exhibition, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, China
First Beijing International Print Painting Biennial Exhibition, Yan Huan Art Museum, Beijing, China
The Space Group, the 12th Space International Print Biennial, Seoul, Korea
Entering into Modern Times: Eight Young Printmakers Exhibition, Guan Shan Yue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
fifteenth National Print Painting Exhibition, Guangzhou, China
Awards
2010
BMW CHINA 2009 Art Power “Most Improved Artist”
2008
AAC2007 The Most Influential Participants of Chinese Art
2003
Gold Award and “Liao Xiuping Printmaking Fund Award” by the Eighth Art Exhibition for Chinese Etching, Lithograph and Silk Screen Print
Gold Award by the First Beijing International Printmaking Biennial Exhibition
2001
Gold Award and “Liao Xiuping Printmaking Fund Award” by the Seventh Art Exhibition for Chinese Etching, Lithograph and Silk Screen Print
Collections (selection)
Long Museum, Shanghai, China
Qiao Zhibin Collection, Shanghai, China
He Juxing Collection, Shanghai, China
166 ArtSpace, Shanghai, China
Minsheng Art Museum, Beijing/Shanghai, China
Gome Art Foundation, Beijing, China
White Rabbit Gallery, Sydney, Australia
DSL Collection, Paris, France
Suherman Collection, Jakarta, Indonesia
James Wang Collection, Taipei, China
National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
Museum Of Contemporary Art of Yinchuan, Yinchuan, China
Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
Sichuan Art Gallery, Chengdu, China
Chongqing Art Gallery, Chongqing, China
Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing, China
Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan
Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium