Ren Zhenyu was born in Tianjin in 1976. He graduated in 1999 from the Oil Painting Department at Tianjin Academy of Fine Art where he is currently working as lecturer. Since the beginning of his career his great talent has been recognized and appreciated by galleries and collectors throughout China. More recently he also has gained fame in Europe, especially through his portrait series of two historical icons: Andy Warhol and Chairman Mao. In this series, Ren plays with colours and China's most famous image, expressing his own abstract-expressionist interpretation of the Chairman's face portrayed from different angles. Far from neo-realism, he belongs to the trend of pop-political art and by choosing Mao his subject, Ren attempts not only to celebrate Mao's image from a contemporary perspective, but he also aims to reconcile some very dolorous and uncomfortable memories. In his work, Ren alludes to the profound political changes that have been taking place in China since Mao's death (the same year the artist was born) and to the constant need for Chinese artists to connect themselves to the past.
1976
Born in Tianjin, China
1999
Graduated from the Oil Painting Department at Tianjin Academy of Fine Art, Tianjin, China
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2009
"Visible And Invisible", Galerie Frank Schlag, Essen, Germany
2008
Ren Zhenyu Solo Exhibition, Drs Willem Kerseboom Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2007
Ren Zhenyu Solo Exhibition "Looks Just Beautiful", Joyce Gallery, Hong Kong
2005
Ren Zhenyu Solo Exhibition, "In The Name of Face", Beijing, China
Selected Group Exhibitions
2013
On Faith, Galerie Frank Schlag & Cie., Essen, Germany
2009
Icon, Olyvia Fine Art, London, England
2008
Scope Basel 2008 artfair, Willem Kerseboom Gallery
Another portrait, Willem Kerseboom Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2007
Another Portrait, Beijing, Singapore and Hong Kong
Ju Shata -2007 New Elite Award, Beijing, China
Amsterdam International Gallery Exposition, Netherlands
China International Gallery Exhibition, Beijing, China
2006
Exchanging Group Exhibition, China, Japan, France
2005
Guangzhou Modern Art Fair, Guangzhou, China
2004
The 3rd National Oil Painting Exhibition, Beijing, China
2003
The 3rd National Oil Painting Exhibition, Beijing, China
2002
"New Changes"- Young artist nomination, Tianjin, China
1999
The 9th National Fine Arts Exhibition, Beijing, China