He Jianguo (Chinese: 何建国，梨花书屋主人, 1951–2021) is a contemporary Chinese idiosyncratic. He Jianguo is regarded as a twentieth-century artist who is continuing the literati tradition. His brushstrokes and calligraphy are unorthodox and he has no fear of turning his back on traditional methods. He draws heavily on traditional subjects, but offers his own interpretation and takes joy in depicting typical Beijing scenes and the life of his family and friends. As a strong based on Chinese ink artist, he studied privately with many Chinese calligraphy top masters for traditional techniques. In the meanwhile the freedom expressed in his works can be seen as the direct result of not having endured a restrictive art school education.
He seeks to unite the scholaramateur aesthetic, Chinese brush work and certain compositional principle interest in Formalism. Being a great fan of artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Cézanne and Kandinsky, He Jianguo uses principles of rhythm to compose his paintings and grid like structure to order the picture surface.
Ink painters are generally labelled conservative, irrespective of their work, because they do not sever ties with Chinese tradition. He Jianguo is not part of the 'avant-garde' but he is one of the few ink painters who are working creatively with what in lesser hands is a stultifying tradition. He seeks to achieve a union of Chinese and Western artistic languages that is relevant to themselves.
Bibliography
Permanent Collection Collection of New South Wales Art Gallery, Australia Works by HE Jianguo Art Gallery NSW, retrieved February 27, 2011 Year Title Place of Origin Credit Mid-Late 20th Century Serenity (Calligraphy) Art Gallery NSW, retrieved December 19, 2011 China Gift of Sun Yu 1990 Mid-Late 20th Century Drinking under the Moon Art Gallery NSW, retrieved December 19, 2011 China Anonymous Gift 1990 1985 Portrait of Chen Lang Art Gallery NSW, retrieved December 19, 2011 China Purchased 1993 1987 Still life Art Gallery NSW, retrieved December 19, 2011 China Purchased 1993
Publications Year Title Author Publisher Notes 2006 Rule of Beauty He Jianguo, Zhang Zikang Hebei Education Publishing 2006 Today's Chinese Calligraphy Artist He Jianguo He Jianguo Hebei Education Publishing 2006 Chinese Most Representative Artist Series He Jianguo, Linuo Today Art Museum, China - 2006 Chinese Paintings: Artist of today He Jianguo He Jianguo, XuLei Today Art Museum, China - 2006 INK: Whiteley and others He Jianguo The Brett Whiteley Studio New South Wales, Australia - 2004 The Porcelain from He Jianguo He Jianguo Hebei Education Publishing 2003 The Asian Collections Art Gallery of New South Wales He Jianguo, Jackie Menzies Art Gallery of New South Wales - 1998 Contemporary Chinese Artist He Jianguo He Jianguo Hebei Education Publishing 1995 Art of the Brush: Chinese & Japanese Painting Calligraphy He Jianguo, Jackie Menzies Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales - 1994 The Art Gallery of New South Wales collection He Jianguo, Ewen McDonald Art Gallery of New South Wales - 1993 Kreatief: Literair En Kunstkritisch Tijdschrift He Jianguo, Mieke Bongers Belgium - 1992 New Art From China-Post-Mao Product He Jianguo, Claire Roberts Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales -
References
External links He Jianguo's Website Books are collected by the following libraries
Library of Congress U.S.
https://search.catalog.loc.gov/instances/e17f6bd5-04e9-53cd-912d-ebe46c445391?option=keyword&query=He%20jianguo https://search.catalog.loc.gov/instances/86ff6068-9dcf-5d81-9e72-3e50cb401a84?option=keyword&query=He%20jianguo
Metropolitan museum libraries https://library.metmuseum.org/search/?searchtype=o&searcharg=750093357 Smithsonian museum libraries https://siris-libraries.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=power&profile=liball&index=UTILEXP&term=46444058 Stanford university libraries https://searchworks.stanford.edu/?q=750093357 Harvard university libraries https://hollis.harvard.edu/primo-explore/search?tab=books&search_scope=default_scope&vid=HVD2&query=lsr02,contains,750093357 Cornell university https://catalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/3928638 The Ohio states university libraries https://library.ohio-state.edu/search/o750093357 Free university Berlin https://fu-berlin.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma990044607820402883&context=L&vid=49KOBV_FUB:FUB&search_scope=FUB&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=FUB&query=any,contains,9787543431683&lang=de