Passing of Mr. Zhou Hao

It is with profound sadness that we must share this heartbreaking news. On September 18th, we lost Mr. Zhou Hao at the age of 62.

We first received word of Mr. Zhou's participation in a small-scale exhibition in Tokyo via email at the end of January. Drawing inspiration from the details he provided, our gallery worked tirelessly over two months to bring to life the Dimension Zero exhibition. Little did we know that this would become Mr. Zhou Hao's final stage.

Since his first artwork arrived at our gallery in May 1999, we have been captivated by his unwavering creative energy. We ran alongside him, witnessing his ceaseless artistic journey. In late August, during a phone call, we heard about his deteriorating health, and within just three weeks, he disappeared from this world. On September 19th, when we received the news of his passing, we were left in stunned silence, tears flowing uncontrollably. It felt surreal, like a dream, as if it couldn't be real.

On the 25th, at a small, non-religious ceremony in Yokohama, we came face to face with Mr. Zhou's remains. Even as we gazed at his unexpected presence, tears wouldn't come. It was impossible to accept that the same person we had spoken to on the phone so recently now lay before us, lifeless.

Mr. Zhou Hao, we are immensely grateful for the long journey we shared. As long as we remain in good health, we will continue to convey your art to the world. Please watch over us.
Yamashita Takashi and Yamashita Eriko
October 12, 2023


P.S. Earlier this year, in May, we had been in email correspondence to plan your solo exhibition for next year in October. Little did we know it would become a memorial exhibition. In light of this, we have decided to change the exhibition to the following schedule:

Zhou Hao Memorial Exhibition
September 7, 2024 (Saturday) - October 6, 2024 (Sunday)

ZHOU Hao

Biography, Selected Exhibitions and Public Collections

Biography

Zhou Hao was born in Shanghai, China, in 1960. From the age of six through his high school years, he spent approximately ten years living through the Cultural Revolution.

In 1983, he came to Japan as a privately funded international student. The following year, he entered the Department of Oil Painting at Musashino Art University. In his third year, he transferred to the newly established printmaking course, becoming a member of its first graduating class and studying lithography. During this period, his work gradually shifted toward abstraction.

At the same time, he encountered the Mingei philosophy of Yanagi Sōetsu, which made a profound impression on him. Through the writings of Suzuki Daisetsu on Zen, he also began to reconsider the classical culture of his native country. While reading works on Daoist thought, particularly Laozi and Zhuangzi, he developed a strong interest in contemporary art in both Japan and the West.

In 1987, he received a scholarship from the Koyama Keizo Foundation for the Promotion of Art and participated in the first Asian Art Student Residency Program, working in residence at the Shirakaba Museum of Art in Yamanashi Prefecture, with the support of Tokyo Gallery Yoshii.

In 1988, he graduated from the Printmaking Course, Department of Oil Painting, College of Art and Design, Musashino Art University. In 1989, he received a Japanese Government Scholarship from the Ministry of Education. In 1990, he completed the master’s program in printmaking at the Graduate School of Art and Design, Musashino Art University.

After completing graduate school, he joined MMG, a printmaking studio in Higashi-Azabu, Tokyo, directed by printmaker Yusaku Masuda. While working in plate preparation and printing, he continued to produce and exhibit his own prints. He left the studio in 2003 and thereafter devoted himself fully to his artistic practice.

In 2008 and again in 2010, through the introduction of Yusaku Masuda, he produced intaglio prints at Atelier Rémy Bucciali in France. In 2016, he participated in the LOVEART – Summer Artists Residence Project and worked in residence in Italy.

Based between Shanghai and Yokohama, Zhou Hao continued his artistic practice and presented solo exhibitions primarily in Japan and China, while also participating in international print exhibitions and art fairs in Japan and abroad.

He passed away in September 2023 at the age of 62.