"On the Occasion of My Solo Exhibition" 　　　　　ZHOU Hao

It has been two years since my last solo exhibition at Artland Gallery. I am very excited.

I stayed in Shanghai for about eight months to participate in ART SHANGHAI 2007 in April last year and the 11th Shanghai Art Fair in November, where I produced many oil paintings and ink paintings. In this solo exhibition, I will show not only new works but also a part of my works done in Shanghai.

In fact, the reason for this trip to China was to meet a request from a gallery in Shanghai for oil paintings for an art fair.
However, oil paintings take a long time to dry. In the meantime, I tried using sumi ink and found it so interesting that I bought a large quantity of paper and started to paint more and more. Before I knew it, I had bought more than 3,500 sheets of paper.

I wonder if it was the atmosphere in my own country that made me do it. I was surprised to find that I had such a thirst for ink and paper running through my veins.

It may seem obvious, but the desire to explore the possibilities of new fields is what always drives artists. The artist's sensibilities are refined and heightened through a variety of interactions with different materials, different techniques, and different styles. Although my style has changed from the print-only style of my early years, the essence of what I want to express is the same.

I hope you will enjoy viewing the various works of Zhou Hao through my works in this exhibition, which is not limited to any particular genre.

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.