Wei Jia

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
Illuminating the Endless Night, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, China

2007

If You Could Fly, Where Could You Go?, Aura Gallery, Shanghai, China

2006

An Uncivilized Spring, Star Gallery, Beijing, 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
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

2015

In Memory of a Landscape II: Lu Song, Wei Jia and Xie Fan, James Cohan
Gallery, Shanghai, China
Within Sight–Chinese New Painting at Post Financial Crisis Era, Taylor Foundation, Paris, France

2014

Landscape of Man, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, China
The Immortal Scenery, Hive Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China

2013

City Phantasm 2013 Chongqing Youth Art Biennale, Chongqing Art Museum, Chongqing, China
SPECTACLE RECONSTRUCTION – CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ART, MODEM, Centre for Modern and Contemporary Arts, Debrecen, Hungary

2012

Spin: The First Decade of the New Century, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
Water stains on the wall- The carrier of formation, Zhejiang Art Museum, Zhejiang, China
Shedding – new art from china, Zhong Gallery, Berlin, Germany

2011

Born in the 70s, LIN & LIN GALLERY, Taipei, China
“From scenes to scenes of culture” After seventies artist research, Wuhan Art Museum, Wuhan, China

2010

The Mirror of Time, Michael Ku Gallery, Taipei, 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

2009

CHINA MANIA”, Arken Museum of Modern Art Danish, Copenhagen, Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark Paradise Lost, F.FINE Gallery, Beijing, China
China from Zero to Hero, Star Gallery, Beijing, China

2008

3rd A+A Exhibition, PIFO New Art Gallery/ Duolun Museum Of Modern Art, Beijing/ Shanghai
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

2007

Taking off From The West – Contemporary Art of China’s Southwest, Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China
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

2006

Variant Pictures, China Contemporary Oil Painting Invitation Exhibition, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, 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

2005

Next Station, Cartoon?, Star Gallery/He Xiangning Art Museum, Beijing/Shenzhen
Scapes: the ‘Century’ and ‘Paradise’ – The Second Chengdu Biennial, Century City, Chengdu, China
Fushan International Print Paitinging Invitational Exhibition, Fushan, Korea

2004

Ideal of A New Generation – the Chinese New Generation, Gallery of Central Academy of Fine Arts/He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
11th International Biennial Print and Drawing Exhibition, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, China

2003

Eighth Copperplate, Stoneplate, Silk Plate Print Painting Exhibition, Chongqing Art Museum, Chongqing
First Beijing International Print Painting Biennial Exhibition, Yan Huan Art Museum, Beijing, China

2002

Sixteenth National Print Painting Exhibition, Anhui International Exhibition & Conference Center, Nanjing, 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

2001

7th National Exhibition of Etching, Lithography and Silkscreen, Wuhan
fifteenth National Print Painting Exhibition, Guangzhou, China

2000

V Triennale Mondiale d’Estampes Petit Format in Chamalieres, France

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

Download CV (PDF) EN CN

Selected works

Exhibitions

Selected presses

Press release

Wei Jia: Strenuous Journey II

July 10th, 2022