Huang Rui © Stéphane BIsseuil
Born in Beijing in 1952, Huang Rui is one of the pioneers of contemporary Chinese art. In the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, he took part in the emergence of a generation of artists determined to claim freedom of expression outside official channels. In 1978, he joined poets Bei Dao and Mang Ke in founding the literary journal Today, and in 1979 co-founded the Xing Xing (“The Stars”) group alongside Ma Desheng and Wang Keping. The group’s landmark exhibition, staged in public space in front of the National Art Museum of China, is widely regarded as the founding gesture of contemporary art in China. Although short-lived (1979–1983), the Stars group opened new paths for Chinese artists and contributed to the emergence of a new artistic wave in the late 1980s.
Initially influenced by Western avant-gardes (Cubism, Fauvism and Abstract Expressionism), Huang Rui’s painting quickly evolved toward an abstract practice grounded in a Taoist conception of space, volume, texture and color. Based in Japan from 1984 to 2001, he deepened this line of inquiry while experimenting with ink, photography, performance and installation.
Huang Rui’s work frequently references Yin and Yang, foundational principles of the Yi Jing (Book of Changes). “For me,” he explains, “the Book of Changes is not a theory. It is about how you see the world, how the world sees you, and the interaction between you and the world.” Painting, sculpture, installation and performance thus converge in an ongoing investigation of space, perception and the relationship between the individual and their environment.
Returning to Beijing in the early 2000s, Huang Rui played a key role in structuring the contemporary art scene through the creation of the 798 Art District and the Dashanzi International Art Festival. Presented internationally since the 1980s, his work reflects a sustained dialogue between Chinese philosophical heritage and experimental modernity.
Huang Rui lives and works between China and France. His work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the Centre Pompidou, the Guggenheim Museum, the Albertina, M+, and the National Art Museum of China. His artworks have been exhibited in major institutions worldwide, notably in Europe (Centre Pompidou; Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Groninger Museum and Cobra Museum in the Netherlands; Louisiana Museum, Denmark), in the United States (Guggenheim Museum and Brooklyn Museum, New York), and across Asia (National Museum of Modern Art and Osaka Contemporary Art Center, Japan; UCCA, Long Museum and Misheng Art Museum, China; M+ Hong Kong).