Lunar New Year Celebrations: 2019

Artist in Media

Artist with Fench Photographer in Shanxxi in 1988

Artist with Mao's Personal Photographer in 1975

     Chen Baosheng, whose pen name is Huangheqizi (黄河碛子, i.e.: Moraine Child of the Yellow River), is a photographer at the national level. He was born in October 1939,  in a scholarly household in Shanxi Province, China. He was formerly the vice chairman of Shaanxi Federation of Literary and Art Circles (SFLAC) and Shaanxi Photographic Association (SPA), and currently a SFLAC advisor and SPA honorary chairman. He is also a photography professor and graduate student mentor in Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts. Aside from being an outstanding photographer, he is an accalimed calligrapher, writer, painter, and one of the first group of artists who received special allowance from the State Council of China.

     In 1988, “Spirit of Dragon and Horse, Pride of the Yellow River, and Customs of the Yellow Soil,” which are three series of Mr. Chen’s works, were exhibited in the 17th Arles International Photography Festival in France, and they became a sensation. French Newspaper ‘Le Monde’ published his works and critiqued, “Mr. Chen finds views with extreme elaboration, creates a poetic atmosphere, and possesses the style of filmmakers Akira Kurosawa and Cecil B. DeMille - Chen Baosheng, along with Akira Kurosawa and Cecil B. DeMille are all incredible!”

     Mr. Chen’s works pursue the style of “cavalier perspective.” He was called “Xu Beihong of Contemporary China, Painter in Photography, Darkroom Magician, Mirage Sculptor, Peerless Image Architect… along with other titles by both Chinese and foreign photographers. Also, the critics emphasized, “hailed as the pioneer of Chinese Romanticism in Photography, he is matched in this field by no one across China for several hundred years past and beyond….”

     As one of the top ten photographers in China, he has had his works exhibited in over 90 countries. In 1995, he had 294 of his works chosen for int'l photographic exhibitions and was ranked 14th in Black-and-White Photography in the world. Over 60 years, he has held over 20 exhibitions of his personal works domestically and internationally, winning 235 photography awards. He has published over 100 art theses. Also, he has published photo collections, textbooks on photography, theses collections, and other publications, totaling about 40. He became known as a great contemporary Chinese photographer possessing both works and theories.

     Now, nearly 80 years old, Mr. Chen has often lived in the countryside of Northern Shaanxi.  For several years, he has provided the people in the rural area cultural aids by setting up art studios and documenting their lives. He is still active at the forefront of photography. With his unique Chinese style, he has established and solidified his own place in Fine Photography and made extraordinary contributions to the field of photography in China and abroad. 

"I was in awe of the entire moment - I felt so privileged to be viewing his work with him providing context.  I was moved emotionally as well as the photographs were just so inspiring and revealing of our similar landscape to China as well as the human spirit." -- Eric Lenshinskie, VPAA, PVCC

"Master Artist / Photographer from China will be here February 5th for a one day exhibition of his work. Mr. Baosheng represents photography as historically intended: For visually stunning documentation, artistically created images representing timelessness and the potentials seen not only in the Human race but in our surroundings. 

As an artist his photography represents for me the Magical possibilities of the creative process we all strive for."

 --- Kip Sudduth, Adjunct Professor of Art in Digital Photography

中国著名摄影艺术家陈宝生北美摄影作品首展盛况空前【图文集】

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