Yongbo Zhao in his atelier (Photo: Andreas Kaiser, 2018)
Photo: Andreas Kaiser

 

Yongbo Zhao

 

born1964 in Hailong, Jilin Province, Manchuria, China,

lives in Krailling near Munich, 

works as an artist and professor in Munich and China

Stations

1982-1986 Studies of painting, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China

1986-1991 Lecturer in Western painting and art history, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China

1991-1998 Studies of painting, Academy of Fine Arts Munich with Robin Page, Germany, graduated as master student

2000 Member of the artists' association "Münchener Secession" (Munich Secession), Germany

2006 ff Lectureships and professorships: Jilin University of Arts (2006), Heilongjiang Academy of Fine Arts and Heilongjiang Academy of Contemporary Art (since 2010), Northeast Normal University Changchun, Jilin Province (since 2011), Capital Normal University Beijing (since 2012), China

Awards

1983-1989 several prizes in China

1987 1st prize of the "All-Chinese Art Exhibition in honour of the 60th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army", National Art Museum of China, Beijing
1990 Inclusion in the "Great Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Artists"

Solo, double and triple exhibitons (selection)

2001 "Yongbo Zhao - Painting", Cubus Kunsthalle, Duisburg, Germany

2002 "Yongbo Zhao" - Erotic Art Museum, Hamburg, Germany

2007 "Yongbo Zhao - Painting", art association Essenheimer Kunstverein, Germany

2008 "Günter Grass, Armin Müller-Stahl, Yongbo Zhao - Graphic Arts", art museum Kunsthaus Lübeck, Germany   

2009 "Yongbo Zhao and Johannes Grützke - Painting and Graphic Arts Show“, art gallery Kunsthalle Ammersee, Stegen, Germany

2009-2010 "Provocation! Goya, Daumier and Yongbo Zhao - Critics and Mockers of their Time ", art museum Kunsthaus Kaufbeuren, Germany

2010  "Yongbo Zhao  - Masterpieces and Etchings", Rosenheim-Museum, Offenbach, Germany

2011 "Grotesque Idylls – artists of the ‚Munich Secession‘ Yongbo Zhao, Michael von Cube and Erika Maria Lankes“, art association Kunstverein Hof e. V., Germany

2012  "Yongbo Zhao – A Critic and Mocker of his Time", Sanmu International Art Gallery, Art Zone 798, Beijing, China; "Yongbo Zhao“,

retrospective exhibition on the occasion of the 925th anniversary of the community Krailling (place of residence of the

artist), Town Hall Krailling, Germany

2013 „Provocation! Goya, Daumier and Yongbo Zhao - Critics and Mockers of their Time ", Municipal Gallery "Fähre" in the Old

Monastery, Bad Saulgau, Germany; "Yongbo Zhao - Not only beautiful", Citadel Spandau, Berlin, Germany

2014 "Provocation! Goya, Daumier and Yongbo Zhao – Critics and Mockers of their Time ", Kallmann Museum, Ismaning, Germany

2019 "Fictional Discordance - Huaxiang Wang, Yongbo Zhao, Liu Chen“, Tsinghua University Art Museum, Beijing, China; "Gerhard

Berger and Yongbo Zhao - Artist Neighbourhoods I," district gallery Castle of Meßkirch, Germany

2020 "The World as a Ship of Fools - Johannes Grützke, Yongbo Zhao and Huanqing Wang“, art association Essenheimer Kunstverein,

Germany

2022 „Ulrike Waltemathe - Yongbo Zhao“ (Theme series ‚Art in the Anthropocene‘), Cubus Kunsthalle, Duisburg, Germany

Group exhibitions (selection)

1990 3rd International Asia-Europe Biennial, Ankara, Turkey

1997 Great Art Exhibition 1997, also 1999, 2011, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany

1999 "Florence Biennial II ", 1999, Italy
2000 "The Corridor - 20 Years", Reykjavik Art Museum - Harbour House, Iceland
2001 Great Art Exhibition North Rhine Westphalia, Messe Düsseldorf, Germany
2003-2011 "Life as a Legend: Marylin Monroe", touring exhibition through 20 museums in Europe, USA and Canada, curated by ARTOMA Art and Cultural Management, Hamburg, Germany

2005 "Fantastic Worlds", Citadel Spandau, Berlin, Germany

2007 Art Karlsruhe, also 2009 ff, Gallery KK Klaus Kiefer, Essen, Germany

2010 "Francisco de Goya - Visions of Terror and Hope", Museum Voswinckelshof, Dinslaken, Germany

2011 "Mountains Beyond Mountains - Sanqinshan Contemporary Art Inivitational Exhibition" (Wang Huanqing, Qi Zhilong, Yue Minjun, Yongbo Zhao et al.), Enjoy Museum of Art, Art Zone 798, Beijing, China 

2012 "Appearance and Reality - Illusion, Light, Ornament and Splendour. Baroque elements in contemporary art", Kallmann Museum, Ismaning, Germany

2014 "Chinese Contemporary Art 1980-2014", He Art Museum, Wuhan, China; The 2nd Chinese Oil Painting Biennial Exhibition, National Art Museum of China, Beijing
2016 "Luther is not enough! Artistic impulses for permanent reform", art museum Kunsthaus Kaufbeuren, Germany

2018 "Beauty and Abyss" (Johannes Grützke, Yongbo Zhao, Pavel Feinstein et al.), Citadel Spandau, Berlin, Germany; "AffenTheater. The Monkey in Contemporary Art (Monkey Paintings by Pavel Feinstein, Yongbo Zhao et al.), Forum Kunst, Rottweil, Germany

2020 "Self-Portraits and Other Enigmas" (Pavel Feinstein, Johannes Grützke, Yongbo Zhao et al.), Municipal Gallery "Fähre" in the Old Monastery Bad Saulgau

Works in public collections (selection)

Museum Folkwang, Essen: "Der Raub der Sabinerinnen", 2000, Öl/Leinwand, 180 x 160 cm

Imperial Edict Museum, Xuzhou, China: "Man bekommt ihn einfach nicht unter die Erde I", 2011, Öl/Leinwand, 180 x 240 cm

White Rabbit Collection, Sidney, Australien: "Kreislauf I", 2012, Öl/Leinwand, 180 x 240 cm

National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China: "Überspannt den Bogen nicht!", 2014, Öl/Leinwand, 180 x 240 cm 

Kunstmuseum der Tsinghua Universität, Beijing, China: "Die Korruption gedeiht überall II", 2016,  Öl/Leinwand, 180 x 280 cm

Publications (selection)

"Yongbo Zhao - Das große Lachen / Hearty Laughter“, ed. by Gottfried Knapp, München, Prestel, 2008 

"Yongbo Zhao“, München, Klinckhardt & Biermann, 2nd ed. 2014 (Junge Kunst ; 05)

"Yongbo Zhao - Die Welt als Narrenschiff“, Essen, Galerie KK Klaus Kiefer, 2018