Artist Yu Jidong

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Details:

b.1976, Beijing, China

Artist Yu Jidong is a professional artist, illustrator, and freelance writer based in Beijing. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Chinese painting from the Fine Arts Department of Minzu University of China in 1999. In 2003, he obtained a master's degree in figure studies from the Chinese Painting Department of Minzu University of China. In 2014, he became the sixth artist-in-residence at the Gwangju City Museum of Art's Beijing Creative Center. Between 2016 and 2017, he was a resident artist at the Swatch and Peace Hotel Art Center.

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Yu Jidong has participated in several major solo exhibitions, including Reverse Flow at Shengshi Sky Art Museum (Beijing) in 2017, Yu Jidong Solo Exhibition at HDM Gallery (Beijing) in 2015, and Source—Jidong’s Paintings at Ba Shi Zuo (Beijing) in 2004. His group exhibition experience is equally extensive, including the 2021 Huawei-themed art exhibition, the 2019 Beijing Letters — 10th Anniversary Special Exhibition of the Gwangju City Museum of Art's Beijing Creative Center, and the 2018 Ritual Naturalism Round One Exhibition. In 2014, he participated in the Los Angeles Art Expo, along with numerous important international and domestic art exhibitions, including charity auctions. Yu Jidong's works are held in collections by institutions such as the Today Art Museum, SWATCH and Peace Hotel Art Center, the French DSL Art Collection, and Huawei Art Collection. His creative work and artistic activities have had a significant impact both domestically and internationally, highlighting the diversity and innovation of contemporary ink art.

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At the intersection of "ink" and "abstract," Yu Jidong's ink works reflect the evolution of contemporary Chinese ink painting. Since the rise of modern ink art in the 1980s and the experimental ink art of the 1990s, "abstract ink" and "experimental ink" have increasingly become central topics in the artistic discourse. Yu Jidong follows the development of experimental ink art while exploring the relationship between ink painting and abstract art. His work still belongs to the ink painting category, but it departs entirely from traditional ink painting practices. Although he uses traditional brushes, ink, and paper, his conceptual approach brings a new form of expression. He often employs short, straight lines that emphasize calm, orderly relationships. These straight ink lines, intertwined with one another, reflect rational judgment and showcase his control over relationships. While his works no longer adhere to traditional ink painting rules, they retain the subtlety and elegance of ink. His art bridges Eastern and Western cultures, presenting a dynamic state of tension and spirit at their edges.

— (Zhang Yu, "'Beyond Ink' and 'Entering Contemporary Art,'" Trends in Modern Chinese Ink Art at the End of the 20th Century)