Xia Yan, born in 1975 in Guizhou, is a famous contemporary artist. He graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Guizhou Normal University in 1998 and is now an associate professor at the Fine Arts College of Guizhou Normal University. In recent years, his works have gradually been recognized by collectors at home and abroad. K11 Art Space, Chengdu Contemporary Art Museum, Chengdu Blue Top Art Museum, Singapore Simin Art Garden and other important institutions have exhibited and collected their works.
Xia Yan’s works revolve around the relationship between human beings, nature and festivals. His painting style has some fairy tales, giving a sense of dreams and innocence, but also revealing reflections on the environment.
Artistic introduction
Born in Guizhou in 1975.
In 1998, he graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Guizhou Normal University (now the Academy of Fine Arts) and stayed at the school until now.
In 2005, he graduated from the Department of Painting, Department of Painting, Central Academy of Fine Arts.
2006 Entered Guiyang “Urban Parts” Contemporary Art Studio
2012 Graduated from the Digital Media Department of Xiamen University Software College with a master’s degree
ARTbaiguan: How do you balance teaching work and personal artistic creation with so many years of coaching career?
Xia Yan: Teaching and creation seem to conflict with working time and space, but in fact, the two are complementary to each other. Teaching and creative practice are the best knowledge-transforming relationship;
ARTbaiguan: We see some characters appear on your screen. Does this have anything to do with your life or your relationships?
Xia Yan: Some are related, some are fragments of images I downloaded from the web. The current works pay more attention to things in the public environment, and all the roles are almost irrelevant to their own life circle;
ARTbaiguan: There are many people who like your Soshan series. What is your creative inspiration?
Xia Yan: Childhood memories, it is a nostalgic homesickness.
ARTbaiguan: Which period of art or artistic activity has the most influence on you? What is reflected in your work?
Xia Yan: After the Second World War in Europe, I really liked the works of art with realistic criticism. The forms and language of the works of artists such as Kiefer, Richter, and Tuymans have influenced the establishment of my value judgment and creation system.
ARTbaiguan: How do you choose new ideas derived from the creative process?
Xia Yan: The new idea is more to take, not to be…
ARTbaiguan: Do you think that a work that combines traditional culture is more meaningful than a purely contemporary work?
Xia Yan: It depends on the context in which the works are displayed. Some people use a good license to play the game. The works must not be simple binary opposition. The problems of tradition and contemporary, conservative and open, black and white are not directly comparable to right and wrong, good and bad. They are a rich complex of dimensions that are interpenetrated;
ARTbaiguan: Many people now believe that painting on the shelf is bound to die, and that installation art and new media art are the future development trends. What do you think of their views?
Xia Yan: This is the law of development. As for the assumptions about the future, I can’t play the role of the prophet.
ARTbaiguan: Whether it is painting or other art media, you will face the problem of effective expression between language and thought. How do you think about solving these problems?
Xia Yan: Thought is the first. Language is more of a service for the mind. Of course, the validity of the expression of the purely linguistic form cannot be ruled out. I think that the development of society needs more truth than beauty. Therefore, in the current works, I am more and more inclined to intervene in thoughts, rather than the shaping of pure form aesthetics;
ARTbaiguan: How do you think about the impact of the social behavior of “circles” on artistic creation? Does the advantage outweigh the disadvantages or do more harm than good?
Xia Yan:Many problems cannot be treated with advantages and disadvantages. The WeChat circle of friends is the most effective way to spread today. This is also a kind of “circle”. It is difficult for us to reject this highly efficient way of communication. As for the interpersonal circle of reality, what I want to say is that if we have no way to circumvent it, then we should use it well. After all, the circle is an effective way of communication.
ARTbaiguan: As an artist, what do you most want to tell the general public?
Xia Yan: Hello! I am Xia Yan
Solo exhibition:
Painted Visual Personal Works Exhibition (Guiyang)
2007 Unknown Mountain – Xia Yan Solo Exhibition (Jinse Gallery, Chongqing)
Group exhibition:
2011 broke into Taiwan (An Desheng Art, Taipei)
Suddenly (Wafu Gallery, Shanghai)
Mixed-up image–China Contemporary Oil Painting Invitational Exhibition (Xi’an Art Museum, Shijiazhuang Museum of Contemporary Art, Hubei Art Museum)
2010 Field Spread (Celebrity Art Institute, Shanghai)
Mixed-up image–China Contemporary Oil Painting Invitational Exhibition (Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen)
Field Spread (Blue Top Art Museum, Chengdu)
Varied landscape (Moon Lake Art Museum, Shanghai)
Vipassana (798 St. Space, Beijing)
Leading in 2009–Nomination Exhibition of Chinese Art Critics (Beijing)
The Theme Exhibition of the First Chongqing Young Artist Biennale “Cultural Imagination of Contemporary Art” (Chongqing Convention and Exhibition Center, Chongqing)
Chinese Situation–Contemporary Art Exhibition (501 Art District, Chongqing)
2008 Desire Reality (Sin Yi Yuan, Singapore)
Southwest Power – Contemporary Art Invitation (Roving) Exhibition (Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chengdu)
The Waves Program – Sino-German Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition (Sichuan University Art Museum, Chengdu)
The 4th Youth Art Exhibition of Guizhou Province (Silver Award) (Guiyang Art Museum, Guiyang)
Landscape – Seven People Exhibition, 800 Art Museum (Shanghai)
Post-Pioneer China Contemporary Art Exhibition (Hong Kong)
Shanghai Spring Art Salon (Shanghai)
“Art is a kind of work” Southwestern Contemporary Art Studio Invitational Exhibition (Shanghai Mengnali Art Center)
“Animal Carnival” Chinese Youth Artists Exhibition (Chengdu Sichuan University Art Museum)
“The Quartet of the Oral Voice” The 3rd Guiyang Oil Painting Biennale Guiyang Art Museum)
2006 “New Power—China” Contemporary Art Biennale Beijing Invitational Exhibition (Beijing TS1 Contemporary Art Center)
Urban Parts—Contemporary Art from the Summer Capital (Chongqing Jinser Gallery)
“New Power—China” Biennale of Contemporary Art (Shanghai Yuangong Art Museum)
Urban Parts Contemporary Art Studio Works Exhibition (Guiyang Taste Space)
“Playing in the 60s and 70s” Art Exhibition (Guiyang)
“Lan Yi” Oil Painting Exhibition (Guiyang)
2005 The “Baihong Imagery” Theme Exhibition of the Central Academy of Fine Arts Academy (Beijing)
2004 “China’s New Vision”—Chinese Youth Artists’ Works Exhibition (Shanghai)
2003 The First Shanghai Spring Art Salon Exhibition “Joint Exhibition of Young Artists” (Shanghai)
