Yu Aijun teaches at Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, where he started his artistic career as undergraduate and then graduate student. For the past few years he has paid close attention to the sketch as artistic medium. Up until now, Yu Aijun has drawn close to a thousand of these small portraits. He wishes to collect the expressions of people from this era, drawing inspiration from the “Book of Gods”, which is also the title of his portraits. Everybody can be ‘God’. ‘God’ is our biggest hope on the realization of desire. ‘God’ is also the actual realization of desire. This ‘God’ has become a materialized ‘spirit’. We can not worship him in a temple, neither is he a remote being in heaven. He manifests himself rather in non-religious contexts.
1971 Born in in Liaoning, China
1997/2004 Graduated from the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts (LAFA), printmaking and oil painting department
Lives and works in Shenyang, China
As a writer in his spare time, has published poetry, commentary, and other written works.
Solo Exhibitions
2012
“Shadow Painting”Yu Aijun’s New Series on Papers, Eastlink Gallery, Shanghai,China
“Stagnation” Yu Aijun’s Ink Painting, Nanjing Pioneer bookstore Wutaishan headquarters, Nanjing,China
Ink Heart——Yu Aijun Solo Exhibition, PIFO Gallery, Beijing, China
2011
Fictitious Story in Real Scene: Yu Aijun Solo Exhibition, Hehui Art Gallery, Shanghai, China
Six Paintings: Yu Aijun’s Works, Beijing BBT Press Consultancy Company, Beijing, China
Yu Shan·Yu Shan, Shenyang Hunnan New District, site of Yu Shan Village demolition, Shenyang, China
Group exhibitions
2012
Contemporary Chinese Ink Painting Joint Exhibition, VA Gallery, Hong Kong
Cold Encounter, Soka Art Center, Beijing
Yeast, Art Seasons Gallery, Beijing, China
The 3rd Bangkok Triennale International Print and Drawing Exhibition—Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
2011
Works on Paper: “Shading” Series, Prune Bamboo, Museum of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang, China
Daily: Describe An Intuition Liberalize Yourself, Qinghe Contemporary Art Museum, Nanjing, China
Swordsman Young Artists Exhibition, Aura Gallery, Beijing, China
Our Land, Our People, Museum of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang, China
Extension, Gallery of Nîmes Academy of Fine Arts, France
Landscape: 2011 Spring Exhibition，A Thousand Plateaus Art Space, Chengdu, China
France-China Exchange Exhibition, Museum of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang, China
Postcard: International Sketch Research Exhibition, Museum of the University of New South Wales/Museum of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, New South Wales/Shenyang, Australia/China
2010
The 7th International Ink Art Biennial of Shenzhen “New Media with Traditional Thought”, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
Dimensionality, Red Star Gallery, Beijing, China
Reshaping History: China Youth New Art Invitational Exhibition, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
Exchange Exhibition of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and Wonkwang University, Seoul/Shenyang, Korea/China
The Fifth A+A, PIFO Gallery, Beijing, China
Guest Exhibition for Paintings by Professors of Oil Painting from Chinese Academies of Fine Arts, Museum of China Academy of Fine Art, Hangzhou, China
2009
Urban Troubadours: A Spring of Chinese-French Cultural Exchange , Thousand Plateaus Art Space, Chengdu, China
The Fourth A+A, PIFO Gallery, Beijing, China
Chinese Situation: “Chongqing Station” , Chongqing 501Contemporary Art Museum, Chongqing, China
2008
21st Century Ink Art Academic Exhibition, Museum of China National Academy of Painting, Beijing, China
Sketch Exhibition of Artists from China, Japan and Korea, Parks Art Project Space, Beijing, China
Exhibition of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts Students, Mulin Gallery, Shanghai, China
Upside Down in Priority: Pingyao Photography Exhibition, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, Shanxi, China
Seeking Reality: Pragmatism and Virtuality, Red Star Gallery, Beijing, China
2007
Magnification: Contemporary Art Exhibition, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, Shanxi, China
Korea-China Modern Fine Arts Exchange Exhibition, Korea Seongnam Arts Center, Seoul, Korea
2006
Hold Fast and Break Through, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
“LAFA” Artists Guest Exhibition, Beijing Contemporary Art Gallery, Beijing, China
From “the Pole” to “Tiexi District”: Northeastern China Contemporary Art Exhibition (1985-2006), Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China
Sketch Images: Thirteen Paper Works from Yu Aijun, Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang, China
2003
International Contemporary Sketch Works Invitational Exhibition, Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts/Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts/CAFA Art Museum, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Beijing
1998
The Sixth National “Three Printings (copperplate, lithograph and silk-screen)” Exhibition, Shenyang, China
1996
National Sketch Works Exhibition, Wu Zuoren International Foundation of Fine Arts, LAFA Museum/CAFA Museum, Shenyang/Beijing, China
