Jianguo, Sui
(b. 1956 in Qingdao, Shandong province) received a BA in the Fine Arts Department from the Shandong University of Arts in 1984 and an MA in the Sculpture Department from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1989, where he currently presides as the head of the Sculpture Department. He has been praised by art critics for being a "pioneer venturing to the farthest reaches of Chinese sculpture."
Sui Jianguo’s art explores his unique understanding and recognition of creation, form, alternative media, alternative methods, and space-time. His sculptures are ingenious fusions of concept and form, as many of his works utilize large-scale force to impact viewers. Sui Jianguo’s early works carry strong symbolic content, most of which carefully relates the peculiarities of society and history. His later creations gradually became disconnected from his own identity and began incorporating a bigger visual angle, thus makinghis concepts of cultural space-time apparent. Sui Jianguo’s work also succeeds in bringing forth introspection on the artistic process in modern China. Whether it bethe Realism in hisearly works or the classic shapes in his later Mao Jacket and Dinosaur pieces, both rely on the wisdom of native Chinese genealogy and channels of culture to serve as ways to solve problems, as outlets. The work reveals an obvious academic’s severely critical standpoint regarding society and human morality.His works also touch on the realms of video and public performance.
The artist has participated in many group and solo exhibitions, includingThe Hague Under Heaven: Sui Jianguo Sculptureat Museum Beeldenaan Zee, Hague, Holland (2011), Sui Jianguo: Dream Stone at JGM Gallery, Paris (2010), as well as The City of Forking Paths: The Sculpture Project of the Expo Boulevard, World Expo Shanghai 2010, Shanghai, China, Motion/Tension: New Work by Sui Jianguo, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China (2009), Fashion Accidentally, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, China (2007), and Susi: Future & Fantasy, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Manila, The Philippines (2006).
Solo Exhibitions:
2012 "Sui Jianguo's Discus Thrower" The British Museum, London, UK.
2012 "Sui Jianguo" Pace Beijing, 798, Beijing
2012 "Restrained Power: Sui Jianguo's Work" MOCA， Singapore
2011 "the Hague Under Heaven---Suijianguo Sculpture" Museum Beelden aan Zee, Hague, Holland
2010 "Made in China by Sui Jianguo" Art Issue Projects, Beigao District, Beijing, China
2009 "Motion/Tension : New Work by SuiJianguo", Today Art Museum ,Beijing,China
2008 "Art Time Square-Exhibition of works by Sui Jianguo" HongKong, China
2008 "Revealing Traces", Joyart, Beijing, China
2007 "Dian Xue - Sui Jianguo Art Works", OCAT, Shanghai, China
2007 "Speeding up – Sui Jianguo Space Video", Arario, Beijing, China
2005 "Sui Jianguo: The Sleep of Reason", Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, USA
1999 "Clothes Veins Study", Passage Gallery, Beijing, China
1997 "You Meet the Shadow of Hundred Years", Victoria College of the Arts, Melbourne, Australia
1996 "Exhibition of Works by Sui Jianguo", Hanart Gallery, Hong Kong
1995 "Deposit and Fault", New Delhi Culture Center, India
1994 "Exhibition of Works by Sui Jianguo", Hanart Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
1994 "Remembrance of Space", CAFA Gallery, Beijing, China
Group Exhibitions:
2012 "The 7th Shenzhen Sculpture Biennale: Accidental Message" OCAT, Shenzhen, China
2012 "The Special Show for The First International Festival of Contemporary Sculpture 2012" Kiev, Ucrain
2011 "Leaving Realism Behind" Pace Beijing, Beijng, China
2011 "Start from the Horizon-Chinese Contemporary Sculpture Since 1978" Sishang Art Museum, Beijing, China
2011 "Ideology and Manifestation" Wenxuan Art Museum, Chengdu, China
2011 "the 4th Guangdong Trinnale" GMOA, China
2011 "Super-Orgnasm-CAFAM Biennale" Beijing, China
2011 "Collection Histry-China New Art" MOCA Chengdu, China
2011 "Martell Artists of the Year" Beijing,Shanghai, Guangzhou
2010 "Made in Pop Land" National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
2010 "The city of forking paths" The sculpture project of the expo boulevard, world expo Shanghai 2010, Shanghai
2010 "The constructed dimension - 2010 Chinese contemporary art invitational exhibition" National Art Museum of China
2010 "Sculpture - Sui Jianguo and his students" A4 gallery, Chengdu, China
2009 "The home court" White Box Museum of Art, 798, Beijng China
2009 "Beijing—Havana The Revolution of Art" The National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba
2009 "I Can Believe Chinese Contemporary Artist’s (Invitation) Exhibition & Star Art Museum Opening Exhibition
2009 "Embrace Suzhou - Exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Art" Suzhou Art Mseum, China
2009 "09 Art Changsha" Hunan Museum, Changsha, China
2009 Conversation With Chinese Contemporary Sculpture Milennium Park, Chicaco, USA
2009 State Legacy-Research in the visualisation of political history Manchester, MMU, UK
2009 "Spectacle—to each his own" Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei
2008 "Art and Chinese Revolution" Asia Society, New York
2008 "Beyond-Sotheby’s at Chatsworth" Chatsworth, UK
2008 "Conciliatory-Bozinan Biennalia" Bozinan Art Museum, Poland
2008 "Come Over" Li Space, Caochangdi, Beijing
2008 "Hanging in Sky Drifting on Surface" Linda Gallery, 798 Beijing
2008 "Reflective Asia—3rd Nanjing Triennial" Nanjing Musuem, Nanjing
2008 "Hypallage — The Post - Moden Mode of Chinese Contemporary Art" The OCT Art & Design Gallery, Shenzhen, China
2008 "Half - life of a Dream — Contemporary Chinese Art" SFMOMA, USA
2008 "Ships at Sea" – Henk Visch & Sui Jianguo, C - Space, Beijing, China
2008 "New World Order", Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands
2008 "Free Fall", Chen Ling Hui Contemporary Space, Beijing, China
2008 "Crouching Paper Hidden Dragon" F2 Gallery, Caochangdi, Beijing
2008 "Hunting Birds", Tang Contemporary, Beijing, China
2007 "Energy—Spirit, Body, Material, The First Today’s Documents 2007" Today’s Art Museum, Beijing
2007 "Forms of Concepts—the reform of concepts of Chinese contemporary Art 1987-2007" Hubei Art Museum, Wu Han, China
2007 "Red Hot - Asian Art Today from the Chaney Family Collection" the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA
2007 "Metamorphosis: The Generation of Transformation in Chinese Contemporary Art ", Tampere Art Museum, Finland
2007 "Fashion Accidentally", Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
2007 "What is Monoha?", B.T.A.P., Beijing, China
2007 "Breathe", Jinan, China
2007 "Top 10 Chinese Contemporary Sculptors", Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
2007 "Chinese Contemporary Socart", The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2007 "We Are Your Future - Special Project for 2nd Moscow Biennale", Russia
2006 "City in Progress / Live from Zhang Jiang", Shanghai, China
2006 "Double - kick Cracker", Tang Contemporary, Beijing, China
2006 "Susi - Future & Fantasy", Metropolitan Museum of Manila, The Philippines
2006 "Absolute Images", Arario Tian, South Korea
2006 "China Trade", International Center for Contemporary Asian Art, Vancouver, Canada
2006 "Jianghu", Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, USA
2006 "Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China", Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
2006 "On the Edge", Davis Museum and Culture Center, Wellesley College, Massachusetts, USA
2005 "Beautiful Cynicism", Arario, Beijing, China
2005 "Ten Thousands Year", Postmodern City, Beijing, China
2005 "To Each His Own", Zero-Space 798, Beijing, China
2005 "Xianfeng! Chinese Avant-garde sculpture, Museum Beelden aan Zee, Scheveningen, The Netherlands
2005 "Transportation Box", Jianwai SOHO, Beijing, China
2005 "On the Edge - Contemporary Chinese Artists Encounter the West", Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Stanford University, California, USA
2005 "Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China", Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, USA
2004 "Now - Conceptual Estate in Shanghai", Shanghai, China
2004 "The First Nominative Exhibition of Fine Art Literature", Wuhan, China
2004 "Sculpture by the Sea", Sydney, Australia
2004 "Gods Becoming Men", Frissiras Museum, Athens, Greece
2004 "What Is Art - Two Wrongs Can Make One Right", Xian Art Museum, Xian, China
2004 "Playing With Chi Energy", House of Shiseido, Tokyo, Japan
2004 "L’art à la Plage", Nice, France
2004 "Exposition des Sculptures Chinoises", Jardin Des Tuileries, Paris, France
2004 "Between Past and Future: New Photography and Video from China", International Center of Photography / Asia Society, New York, USA
2004 "Le Moine et le Démon", Lyon Contemporary Art Museum, Lyon, France
2004 "Busan Sculpture Project", Busan, South Korea
2004 "Light As Fuck", National Museum of Contemporary Art, Oslo, Norway
2004 "Beyond Boundaries", Shanghai Gallery of Art, Shanghai, China
2003 "Open the Sky: Contemporary Art Exhibition", Duolun Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2003 "The Sea and the Music: Modern Sculpture Exhibition", Xiamen, China
2003 "Left Wing", Left Bank Plaza, Beijing, China
2003 "Conceptual Estate", Shenzhen, China
2003 "Exhibition of Modern Ceramic Art", Fushan, China
2003 "Second Reality", Pingod Space, Beijing, China
2003 "Red Memory - Left Hand and Right Hand", 798 Art District, Beijing, China
2003 "Today’s Chinese Art", Shijitan, Beijing, China
2003 "Open Time", National Art Gallery, Beijing, China
2003 "Contemporary Sculpture - China Korea Japan", Osaka Museum, Japan
2003 "Beaufort Triennial Contemporary Art by the Sea", Museum of Modern Art, Oostende, Belgium
2002 "Paris – Pékin", Palace Cardin, Paris, France
2002 "Mirage", Suzhou Art Museum, Suzhou, China
2002 "1st Guangzhou Triennial", Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China
2002 "Beijing Afloat", B.T.A.P., Beijing, China
2002 "Made in China", Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg, Germany
2002 "Triennial of Chinese Art", Guangzhou Museum, Guangzhou, China
2002 "Modernity in China - 1980-2002", Fondacion Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP), Sao Paolo, Brazil
2002 "Artists of Ideal", Contemporary Art Center, Verona, Italy
2002 "Made By Chinese", Gallery Enrico Navara, Paris, France
2002 "Made in China", Ethan Cohen Fine Art, New York, USA
2001 "Transplantation In Situ", He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
2001 "Dream 2001 - Contemporary Chinese Art Exhibition", Red Mansion, London, UK
2001 "Forever", Canadian Embassy, Beijing, China
2001 "Open 2001- Fourth International Sculpture and Installation", Venice, Italy
2001 "Art on the Beach", Nice, France
2001 "Between Earth and Heaven: New Classical Movements in the Art of Today", Museum Of Modern Art, Oostende, Belgium
2000 "Shanghai Spirit - Shanghai Biennale", Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2000 "Sui Jianguo and Zhan Wang", Galerie Loft, Paris, France
2000 "Sharing Exoticisms - Contemporary Art Lyon Biennale", Lyon, France
2000 "Chinese Contemporary Sculpture Invitational Exhibition", Qingdao Sculpture Museum, Qingdao, China
1999 "Second Annual Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition", He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
1999 "Gate of the Century", Chengdu Art Museum, Chengdu, China
1999 "Avant-garde in China", Galerie Loft, Paris, France
1999 "Les Champs de la Sculpture 2000", Paris, France
1999 "The Fourteenth International Asia Art Exhibition", Asia Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan
1999 "Volume and Form - Singapore Art Festival", Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
1999 "Four Artists", Beijing Art Warehouse, Beijing, China
1999 "Departure From China", Beijing Design Museum, Beijing, China
1999 "China 1999", Limn Gallery, St Francisco, USA
1999 "Transience: Chinese Art at the End of the Twentieth Century", David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, USA
1998 "Personal Touch - Chinese Contemporary Art", TEDA Contemporary Art Museum, Tianjin, China
1998 "First Annual Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition", He Xiangning Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
1998 "Im Spiegel der Eigenen Tradition - Contemporary Chinese Art", German Embassy, Beijing, China
1998 "A Revelation of 20 Years Contemporary Chinese Art", Forbidden City, Beijing, China
1998 "Vivre Life - Eight Artists Exhibition", Wan Feng Gallery, Beijing, China
1997 "Dream of China - Chinese Contemporary Art", Yan Huang Art Museum, Beijing, China
1997 "Continue - Five Sculptors’ Exhibition", CAFA Gallery, Beijing, China
1997 "Sui Jianguo & Li Gang", Contemporary Chinese Sculpture, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, China
1997 "A Point of Contact – Korean, Chinese and Japanese Contemporary Art", Taegu Culture Hall, Taegu, Korea
1996 "First Academic Exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Artists," Hong Kong Art Center, Hong Kong
1996 "Reality, Present, and Future - Chinese Contemporary Art", Beijing International Art Museum, Beijing, China
1996 "From the East of Asia - Installation & Painting", Kodama Gallery, Osaka, Japan
1996 "Works Nominated by Art Critics (Sculpture and Installation) in Jiangsu Monthly Magazine", Beijing, China
1995 "Women Site", Beijing Contemporary Art Gallery, Beijing, China
1995 "Plan for Development", CAFA Gallery, Beijing, China
1995 "From the Middle Kingdom - Chinese Avant-garde Art Since 1979", Centre d'Art Santa Monica, Barcelona, Spain
1994 "Substance and Creativity: Asian Arts and Craft from Its Origin to the Present Day", Hiroshima, Japan
1993 "Sui Jianguo and Wang Keping Sculpture Exhibition", Chinese Modern Art Center, Osaka, Japan
1993 "China’s New Art post 1989", Hong Kong Art Center, Hong Kong
1992 "Contemporary Young Sculptors, National Academy of Fine Arts, Hangzhou, China
1992 "Position '92", CAFA Gallery, Beijing, China
1990 "Exhibition of Art Workshop No.1", CAFA Gallery, Beijing, China
1986 "Exhibition of Young Artists in Shandong", Jinan, China
Fellowships:
1994.11. UNESCO Aschberg, Internrational Fundation for Promotion of Culture
1997.4. Melbourne University Travel Grant for Young Asian Scholarship
2000.11 Guest Professorship in ENSBA, Paris
