Introduction to Zhang YuanYuan
Grounded in the ink wash traditions of the Song Dynasty, Zhang Yuanyuan stands out as an exceptional emerging artist. Her works not only trace the roots of this ancient heritage but also extend it into new, modern expressions through the integration of materials, brushwork, and imagery. In terms of materials, she crafts a visual opulence using beeswax, mineral pigments, gold leaf, and linen as her primary media. Her technique, derived from the ancient “encaustic painting” methods of Roman and Egyptian antiquity, introduces a fresh, exotic flair. As for imagery, she weaves together the meditative emptiness of Japanese painting, the festive auspiciousness of Chinese folk traditions, and even the ritualistic mandalas of esoteric Buddhism, all while manifesting a unique personal style. Zhang Yuanyuan’s painting techniques and choice of materials are particularly rare in contemporary art, and her work, laden with diverse cultural aesthetics and modern formal expressions, marks a space for both transformation and innovation.
1984 Born in Hubei, China
Education
2007 Graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Dalian University, China
2016 Graduated with a Master’s Degree from the Graduate School of Education at Yokohama National University (Akagi Classical Painting Techniques Laboratory)
2019 Graduated with a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Tokyo University of the Arts (Oil Painting Techniques and Materials Laboratory)
Current Positions
Executive Director, Reiwa Sino-Japanese Cultural and Artistic Exchange Association
Headmaster, Reiwa Classical Painting Techniques School
Member, Japan Artists Union
Artist, Wax Rock Pigment Painting
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Zhang Yuanyuan Solo Exhibition – Award Winner of the 2022 Japan Painting Public Exhibition, Ginza Nagai Gallery, Japan
2023 Zhang Yuanyuan Solo Exhibition – Fate and Fortune II, Ginza Ueda Gallery, Japan
2022 Zhang Yuanyuan Solo Exhibition – Flowers Not Flowers, Fish Not Fish, Nihonbashi Nagaya Gallery, Japan
2022 Zhang Yuanyuan New Works Exhibition, Ginza Nagai Gallery, Japan
2021 Zhang Yuanyuan Solo Exhibition – 37th Ueno Royal Museum Grand Prize Exhibition, Ueno Royal Museum, Japan
2020 Zhang Yuanyuan Solo Exhibition – Fate and Fortune, Ginza Ueda Gallery, Japan
Group Exhibitions
2024 The Dawn of Modern Chinese Painting – Sun Ning & Zhang Yuanyuan Two-Person Exhibition
2024 Hankyu 2024, Osaka Hankyu Department Store, Japan
2024 Akagi Norikazu and His Disciples, Ginza Ueda Gallery, Japan
2023 Commemorative Exhibition for the Publication of Listening to the Tides – Artist Interviews, Sino-Japan Cultural Center, Japan
2023 Tokyo International Art Exhibition, Tokyo Kenbi Museum, Japan
2023 Taipei International Art Fair, Taipei World Trade Center, Taiwan
2023 Contemporary Art Fair, Hiroshima SOGO Department Store Gallery, Japan
2023 Contemporary Art Fair, Yokohama SOGO Department Store Gallery, Japan
2023 Osaka Kansai International Art Festival/Art Fair, Japan
2022 Award Winners Exhibition of the 2022 Japan Painting Public Exhibition, Ginza Nagai Gallery, Japan
2022 Shanghai Trend Art Fair, China
2022 Special Exhibition for the 50th Anniversary of the Normalization of Sino-Japanese Diplomatic Relations, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Japan
2022 INFINITY Three-Person Exhibition, Hiroshima SOGO Department Store Gallery, Japan
2022 Spring Exhibition, Tokyo Daimaru Department Store Gallery, Japan
2021 Fortune Cat Exhibition, Ginza Echigoan Gallery, Japan
2021 Akagi Norikazu & Zhang Yuanyuan Master-Disciple Exhibition – The Inheritance and Future of Wax Painting Techniques, Ginza Nagai Gallery, Japan
2021 No Questions, East or West – Sino-Japanese Artist Exchange Exhibition, Tokyo Sino-Japanese Cultural Center, Japan
2021 Fukuoka Asian Art Fair, Hakata Hankyu Department Store, Japan
2021 ART x ART KOBE, Kobe Daimaru Department Store Gallery, Japan
2021 Summer Art Fair, Tokyo Daimaru Department Store Gallery, Japan
2021 Akagi Norikazu & Zhang Yuanyuan Master-Disciple Exhibition, Ueno Shibayama Art Gallery, Japan
2021 First Ningbo International Plein Air Exhibition, Ningbo Yangfan Art Museum, China
2020 Shared Fate, Same Sky – Sino-Japanese Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition, Ningbo Yangfan Art Museum, China
2020 7 Artists Challenging the World, Kasaki Gallery Exhibition (Kamakura Park Hotel B1), Japan
2020 Hooray for an Ordinary Day, Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2019 37th Ueno Royal Museum Grand Prize Winners Exhibition, Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo, Japan
2019 Graduation Exhibition, Tokyo University of the Arts Museum, Japan
2018 ACT ART ROOM Art & Design Art Fair, Shinjuku Art Center, Japan
2017 ACT ART ROOM Art & Design Art Fair, Shinjuku Art Center, Japan
2017 Faculty and Student Exchange Exhibition – Tokyo University of the Arts Oil Painting Department × Zhejiang Normal University Art School, Tokyo University of the Arts Exhibition Hall, Japan
2016 Painting Exhibition with Material Themes, Ueno Sembikido Gallery, Japan
2015 Akagi Research Laboratory – Classical Painting Techniques Exhibition, Yokohama National University Museum, Japan
2014 Zhang Yuanyuan & Takeda Yusaku Two-Person Exhibition, Yokohama GALLERY SHIMIZU, Japan
Awards
Excellence Award, 2022 Japan Painting Public Exhibition
Ueno Royal Museum Painting Grand Prize Exhibition
Metro Cultural Foundation Award, Tokyo University of the Arts Graduation Exhibition
Reflections of Red Fuji with Cherry Blossoms and Koi
Linen, Encaustic, Gouache, Gold leaf
72.7×72.7cm, 2024
NT$ 208,000
Blue Fuji Reflected with Swimming Koi
Linen, Encaustic, Gouache, Gold leaf
50×60.5cm, 2024
NT$ 120,000
Moonlit Cherry Blossoms Reflected on Water
Linen, Encaustic, Gouache
53x53cm, 2024
NT$ 100,000
