Zeng Fanzhi (1964-)
Please contact us if you have an artwork by Zeng Fanzhi that you would like to sell
Zeng Fanzhi (1964-) is a contemporary Chinese artist. His art is known for his distinct expressionistic style rooted in German tradition. He currently resides in Beijing.
Zeng was born in Wuhan, Hubei province. After Chairman Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, Zengwas free to study art. He decided to attend the Hubei Academy of Fine Arts in 1987. It was at the academy that he first encountered expressionism, a style with which he connected immediately. By studying German expressionism, he was able to gain a deeper understanding of the art which he chose to pursue. He graduated from the academy in 1991.
Zeng tends to paint pictures which relate to his real life experiences at a given point in time. By injecting his own emotional state regarding the subject of the piece into his work, Zeng is able to bring a unique angle to his artistic output. He began this period of his work with his Hospital series which depicts angry, sorrowful scenes from a hospital. He moved on to painting his Mask series, paintings which depict the solitude of living behind a mask. As he began to transition into the late 1990s, his style changed again, moving away from explicit depictions of emotion to a more subtle approach, invoking the blending of soft colors instead of the contrast between opposites.
Zeng's works continue to increase in popularity. Zeng's Mask Series 1996 No. 6 sold for $9.7 million at Christie's in Hong Kong in their May, 2008 auction, setting a new record for contemporary Asian artwork. Shortly thereafter, Sotheby's auctioned his Last Supper in Hong Kong for $23 million, another record for a contemporary Asian artwork. As one of the preeminent Chinese artists of the 21st century, one can only expect more artistic output from this promising artist.
Zeng was born in Wuhan, Hubei province. After Chairman Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, Zengwas free to study art. He decided to attend the Hubei Academy of Fine Arts in 1987. It was at the academy that he first encountered expressionism, a style with which he connected immediately. By studying German expressionism, he was able to gain a deeper understanding of the art which he chose to pursue. He graduated from the academy in 1991.
Zeng tends to paint pictures which relate to his real life experiences at a given point in time. By injecting his own emotional state regarding the subject of the piece into his work, Zeng is able to bring a unique angle to his artistic output. He began this period of his work with his Hospital series which depicts angry, sorrowful scenes from a hospital. He moved on to painting his Mask series, paintings which depict the solitude of living behind a mask. As he began to transition into the late 1990s, his style changed again, moving away from explicit depictions of emotion to a more subtle approach, invoking the blending of soft colors instead of the contrast between opposites.
Zeng's works continue to increase in popularity. Zeng's Mask Series 1996 No. 6 sold for $9.7 million at Christie's in Hong Kong in their May, 2008 auction, setting a new record for contemporary Asian artwork. Shortly thereafter, Sotheby's auctioned his Last Supper in Hong Kong for $23 million, another record for a contemporary Asian artwork. As one of the preeminent Chinese artists of the 21st century, one can only expect more artistic output from this promising artist.