Lu Lin

The artist who finds inspiration from life

Lu Lin graduated from Shandong Qingdao Arts and Crafts Institute in 1981 and later taught at Shandong Jinan Arts and Crafts School. he had started a decorative design company during the 80s and was very successful in business. Due to his love for art, he kept in good communication with his artist friends during this period. During an exchange with Li Xianting (now respected as the godfather of Chinese contemporary art), he learned of the existence of the Yuanmingyuan Painter's Village in Beijing and decided to give up the idea of running a company and go to the Yuanmingyuan Painter's Village. At that time, the artists in the Yuanmingyuan Painter's Village were financially strained, and the conditions were hard but happy in pursuit of their artistic dreams, often eating the last meal without the next, with several people crammed into a small painting room. Because of his financial abundance, Lu Lin rents an independent studio by himself and often helps some painters who are on the verge of starvation.

 

Born in Shandong, the hometown of the famous thinker Confucius, Lu Lin had a strong artistic flavor and heritage, so he had a unique affection for the brush and ink of Chinese painting and calligraphy, and in his early works, he already painted alternative atmospheric Chinese landscapes with ink on paper. The period after that coincided with the entry of pop music, karaoke, and pop music into China, and the group whose works were most sensitive was naturally the first to receive these signals, and he painted exaggerated big teeth and smiling faces in bright pink and red to create the popular karaoke series. By the time the Yuanmingyuan Painter's Village was forced to disband in '94, the artists had to look around for a new corner, and Lu Lin took out all his savings and distributed them to fellow artists in need, while he himself was penniless. Since then, the curtain came down on the Utopia of the Yuanmingyuan Painter's Village!

 

 At that time, Songzhuang was very far from the center of Beijing and was separated from Yanjiao in Hebei by a river, so the traffic was particularly inconvenient, and the only advantage was the cheap rent and prices, so the artists were able to settle down here. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city to concentrate on his studies, his creation also broke new ground during this period. He was no longer satisfied with the expression of paper and brush. In his words, "Chinese traditional culture is so profound that every technique and brushwork has a proper noun, and it is very difficult to break through", so he tried to abandon the traditional paper and brush and use the most primitive way to express his understanding of Chinese landscape.

 

His works are unique in that the tools he uses as brushes come from life, and any living object can be his brush, a broom, a feather, a chicken feather duster can all be his brushes, and he can paint wonderful patterns with them. In addition to these, his canvas is also special. In order to achieve the unique ink effect that can only be found in oriental ink painting, he reduces the rice paper to its original pulp state, then fuses it on the surface of the canvas, and then uses his unique brush to create works on it that belong to his era, where Chinese and Western cultures merge. He perfectly combined Eastern ink painting and Western oil painting, and his way of expression has influenced many people and will continue to do so.

Lucy Han 

Curator of Soemo Fine Arts 

2022/5/1

Works

Biography

1962

Born in Jinan, Shandong Province, China

1981

Graduated from Qingdao Craft Art College, Shandong Province, China.

Teacher at the Qingdao Craft Art College

1991

Established Lu Lin Art Studio in Yuan Ming Yuan Painter Village, Beijing, China

2000

Established Abstract Art Studio in Beijing, China

2003

Established Abstract Water Ink And Wash Studio in Jinan, Shandong province, China

Selected Solo Exhibitions 

2011

Ambit-Lu Lin Solo Exhibition, Soemo Fine Arts, Beijing, China

2010

The Legend of Lu Lin, Sunshine Art Museum, Beijing, China

1987

Lu Lin Abstract Water Ink And Wash Art, Beijing, China

1986

Lu Lin Abstract Water Ink And Wash Art, Beijing, China

Selected Group Exhibitions 

2009

Integration-Chinese and French Abstract Art Exhibition, Soemo Fine Arts, Beijing, China

2007

Not The Right Time, Soemo Fine Arts, Songzhuang, Beijing, China

2006

Water Ink League, Songzhuang Art Museum, Beijing, China

2005

Pavilion: An Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Beijing, China

Dilapidated: An Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Beijing, China

2004

The Chinese Edition, Shanghai, China The Chinese edition, Shenzhen, China

2002

Contemporary Art, Chongqing, China

Shanghai Artist Village Biennale, Shanghai, China

1998

Efficacy Of Art, Beijing, China

1997

Contemporary Art of 10 Artists, Beijing, China

1996

Awake China, Germany A Big Chinese Tea Egg, Chinese Karaoke, NHUN! NHUN!, Germany

1994

International Newly Arisen Art Exposition, Hong Kong

The Second United Exhibition of Chinese Occupational Artists, Hong Kong

1993

The First United Exhibition of Chinese Occupational Artists, Beijing, China

Yuan Ming Yuan Artists-Village Works exhibition, Hong Kong

1992

New period Exhibition of 6 Artists--Yuemingjun, Lu Lin, Yangshaobin, Yilin, Weilin, Weiye, Grand Friendship Hotel, Beijing, China

Works of China Yuan Ming Yuan Artists, Belgium

1990

Chinese Contemporary Art, France

1989

Chinese Avant-garde Water Ink And Wash, Japan

Chinese Abstract Water Ink and Contemporary Water Ink And Wash, Japan

1988

Beijing-New York 22 Artists Art Exhibition, New York, the United States