Yu Chengyou

Yu Chengyou is one of the popular modern Chinese printmakers and he is one of the few with exhibitions outside China. He could be called the traditionalist among today's printmakers in China.

Traditional subjects of Chinese painting style like fans, tea bowls, musical instruments are among the artist's favorite subjects. He is especially strong in calligraphy, which can be frequently found in the background of Yu Chengyou's prints. For Western eyes his calligraphy looks like a nice decoration. For the artist and for Chinese eyes it is more than that. Behind each calligraphy is a classical Chinese poem. The other passion of the artist are natural subjects - birds in different seasons, reeds in a marshland or an old tree. He was born in 1953 in Shandong Province, the homeland of Confucianism.

Yu Chengyou's prints are never overloaded - not his designs nor the use of colors. He is the master of expressing more by showing less - a classical Chinese artist.

1953,born in Shandong province, China
Member, China Artists Association
Associate Secretary, Heilongjiang Printmaking Association

Main Exhibitions:

Contemporary Print Works of China (Japan)
Invitational Exhibition of Artistic Works from China, Japan and Korea (HongKong, Beijing)
New Works of Modern Chinese Lithography (Japan)
Print Works from China (Vietnam)
Contemporary Chinese Prints (United States)

Awards:

1984 "Night of Village"-Silver Prize at 6th National Art Exhibition
1992 "Tea"-Golden Prize from the Japanese Association for the Promotion of Chinese Prints
1992 "Peace"-Chosen for exhibiting at the 11th National Print Exhibition
1994 "Remembrance"-Honored as an outstanding work in the 8th National Art Exhibition
1994 "Encirclement"-Silver Prize at 12th National Print Art Exhibition
1996 "Snowbound along the Road Near Mountain Village"-Silver Prize at 13th National Print Exhibition
1998 "Primeval Echoes"-Selected for exhibiting at the 14th National Print Exhibitionv
1998 "Book Vouchers(set of five)"-Silver Prize at 7th National Exhibition of book Vouchers

Collections:

1984 "Night of Village"-China Arts Museum
1991 "Mountain Flower"-China Arts Museum
1992 "Tea"-International Prints Museum(Japan)
1994 "Encirclement"- Shenzhen Art Museum
1996 "Snowbound along the Road Near Shantun" -Jiangsu Art Museum
1997 "Into Autumn"-British Engraving Foundation
1998 "Primeval Echoes"- Shenzhou Prints Museum in Beijing, China

Articles Related:

The Far-Flung Wilderness

Foreword of Yu Chengyou's woodcuts (Cao Mei)

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