“When I am creating art, I am also making a pilgrimage, in a sense,” as Xu Zhongmin states. The electric motors and flashing lights “convey a sense of modernity and of the future”, and he believes the work also reflects eternal truths: “Seen as a whole, the life of human beings is a long series of circles and repetitions.”

Xu Zhongmin was born in 1961 in Mianyang, Sichuan Province, China. With his education interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, he grew up working for a traditional Chinese theatre. From 1975 to 1981, he then learned acting and stage design with the Mianyang Sichuan Opera Troupe, before being accepted into the prestigious Sichuan Fine Arts Academy where he studied printmaking, painting and sculpture until 1987. Xu also spent some time in Beijing before moving to England to live and work in 1992. Xu Zhongmin works in woodcuts, video installations and performances. The modern city and its inhabitants, the chaos and the lull, identity and anonymity, lust and greed are rendered tangible in his body of works. His work has been widely exhibited in China, Japan, UK and France and many of his pieces are held in the collections of major museums and galleries, including the British Museum. Xu has also won many significant awards for his work.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

Upriver Gallery, Kunming, Yunnan;

Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts;

Museum of Fine Arts in Chongqing;

Upriver Gallery, Chengdu, Sichuan;

Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan

The October Gallery, London, UK;

“Works of Xu Zhongmin”, Cité Internationale, Paris, France;

Albemarle Gallery, London, UK;

Selected Group Exhibitions

2009     “Spectacle- to Each His Own”, Taipei Moca, Taiwan

2008     “Seville Biennale”, Seville, Spain

                “Poznan Biennale”, Poznan, Poland

                “Butterfly Dream” at Moca Shanghai, Shanghai, China

                “Virtual City” New Power-China Contemporary Art Biennale, Yuan Gong Art Museum,

                  in Shanghai, China

                “Accelerate: Chinese Contemporary Art” , Singapore Art Museum, Singapore

                “Synthetic Times” at The National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China;

                “Asia Art Week” New York, USA;

                “The Borders of Utopia’ Today Art Museum, Beijing, China.

                “Chinesevoices Chinesestories” Osage Gallery, Hong Kong;

               “Empty”, Marella Gallery, Milan, Italy;

2007     “Empty”, Marella Gallery, Beijing, China;

               “Floating—New Generation of Art in China’ National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea;

               “Thermocline of Art—New Asia Waves’ Zkm Art Museum, Karlsruhe, Germany;

               “Departure from South West”, Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China.

               “Models – Allegories of the Real” Kunsthalle, Germany;

2006     “Double Sound Cracker”, Tang Contemporary Art Center, Beijing, china.

              “This is for Real” an Exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Art, Zhu Qizhan Art Museum,

                in Shanghai, China;

              “China Cupe”, the Hospital, London, UK;.

              “Beyond Beijing’ Exhibition, Osage, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong

2005    “Convergence at e116/n40 Beijing International Contemporary Art Exhibition’ 798 Da yaolu Art Space

                and East End Art Zone, Beijing, China;

              “Shanghai Cool”, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai, China;

2004    “Is It Art?” Xi’an Art Museum, Xi’an, China;

2003    “China Today”, the British Library Gallery, London, UK;

              “Japan International Art Festival”, Tokyo, Japan;

2002    “City of Dreams”, solo exhibition, the Gallery Art U, Osaka, Japan;

              “Dialogue”, Contemporary Art Center, Osaka, Japan;

              “Dream-02” the Bargehouse and the Gallery OXO, London, UK;

              “Media City” Art Gallery Artist Commune, Hong Kong;

              “The First Triennial of Chinese Art”, Guangzhou Art Museum, Guangzhou, China;

2001    “Individual Exhibition—Tidal Wave”, the October Gallery, London, UK;

              “Dream-01” Atlantis Gallery, London, UK;

              “Youth in Transition” Exhibition of Chinese, German and British Artists”, He Xiangning Art Museum,

                Shenzhen, China;

2000   “The Figure in Contemporary Chinese Art”, the Air Gallery, Hanart, London, UK;

              “Face and Gestures” Tour Exhibition of Two Artists in China;

1999    “Transvangarde Exhibition”, the October Gallery, London, UK;

               Two Artist Exhibition, Well Hung Gallery, London, UK;

1998   “The Fourth Sapporo International Print Biennale”, Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo, Japan,

               awarded the sponsors’ prize;

            “The International Triennial—1998”, Osaka, Japan;

            “The Hunting Art Prizes Exhibition 1998” the Royal College of Art Gallery, London, UK;

1997   “229th Summer Exhibition”, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK, awarded the Guinness prize

              for the best first-time contributor;

            “The International Triennial 1997”, Osaka, Japan;

            “Dialogue”, the October Gallery, London, UK;

            “Another Province Exhibition”, Watermans Arts Centre, London, UK;

1996   “The 3rd Sapporo International Print Biennale” Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporao, Japan,

               awarded the first prize;

            “Transvangarde Exhibition”, the October Gallery, London, UK;

            “Cell” Installation, Video, Sichuan, China;

            “Exhibition of Recent Acquisition at the British Museum”, London, UK;

            “National Printmaking Exhibition”, the Mall Gallery, London, UK;

1994   “The International Triennial 1994”, Osaka, Japan;

            “The Hunting Art Prized Exhibition 1994”, the Royal College of Art Gallery, London, UK;

1993  “The International Triennial 1993”, Osaka, Japan, awarded Sakai City Prize;

            “National Printmaking Exhibition” , the Mall Gallery, London, UK;

           “The Second Sapporo International Print Biennale”, Sapporo, Japan;

           “Manchester Academy Annual Exhibition”, Manchester, UK;

1992  Two Artist Exhibition—Art Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China;

1991  “New Expression Painting”—Exhibition of Two Artists, the International Exhibition Center,

              Beijing, China;

1990  Group Exhibition with Five other artists, Dusseldorf, Germany;

1989  Three Artists Exhibition, Culture Centre, Nagoya, Japan;

1988  Group Exhibition of Four Artists, the National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China;

1986  Northwestern Artists Group Exhibition, Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, Chongqing, China;

1985  Northwestern Artists Group Exhibition, Kunming, Yunnan province, China

Public Collections

The British Museum, Tang Contemporary Art Center, the Chaney Collection, Uli Sigg Art Collection (Switzerland), White Rabbit Art Museum (Australia), David Roberts Art Foundation and Museum (UK), Yu Deyao Art Museum (Indonesia), Formula Art Collection (UK), the Red Mansion Foundation (UK), the Muban Foundation (UK), Boehringer Ingelheim (UK), the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art (Japan), the Clifford Chance Art Collection( UK), the Guinness Art Collection (UK), the Centre of Contemporary Arts and Culture (Japan), Art Museum of Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts (China), etc.