Qiu Shihua

Layer by layer, Qiu Shihua applies pigment—barely diluted with oil—onto the canvas, allowing the contours of inner landscapes to emerge. These landscapes are not depictions in the traditional sense, but rather expressions of a meditative process, shaped by his Daoist practice. Emerging and dissolving in equal measure, the motifs arise from a space where memory and a mind emptied through meditation converge. In their quiet presence, they bear witness to the artist’s ongoing journey along the Way of the Dao.

Qiu Shihua is considered a phenomenon in the contemporary art scene: training in the style of Socialist Realism, interest in various French and German styles, finally a formative stay in Paris
in the 1980s.. Growing up in dire poverty in southwestern China, it initially seemed unlikely that he would become a contemporary artist.

Despite the external circumstances, painting became a refuge for him at a young age, initially without formal academic training. Qiu Shihua’s paintings are not to be understood in the traditional sense of the word. They are a reflection of his life experiences, a product of his deep meditation,
and a refuge from the struggles that have marked his existence. In a world increasingly influenced by market-driven art production and streamlined art education, Qiu Shihua’s work stands as a symbol of detachment from these trends and serves as a reminder of the enduring power of art as a sanctuary. His paintings challenge our perceptions and beckon us to contemplate a different dimension of art— one that transcends time, defies classification, and ultimately becomes a refuge for the artist and the audience alike. His legacy lies in his unwavering commitment to the original idea of art as a refuge, even in a contemporary world presumably detached from its roots.

Qiu Shihua was born in Sichuan Province in 1940 and now lives and works in Beijing, Sacramento and Shenzhen.
Selected solo exhibitions: scheinbar: nichts - Bildwelten von QIU SHIHUA im Dialog, Situation Kunst (für Max Imdahl), Museum unter Tage, Bochum, Germany (2018), Qiu Shihua. White Field, Hamburger Bahnhof, Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin, Germany (2012), Qiu Shihua. Landschaft, Licht und Stille, Museum Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany (2012), Insight: Paintings by Qiu Shihua, Chambers Fine Art, New York, USA (2005), The New York Kunsthalle, New York, USA (2001), Qiu Shi- hua, Kunsthalle Basel, Basel, Switzerland (1999).

Selected group exhibitions: The Irreplaceable Human – The Conditions of Creativity in the Age of AI, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Louisiana, USA (2023), HORIZONS, QIU SHIHUA - LEIKO IKEMURA - KIMSOOJA - EVELYN TAOCHENG WANG - YU DUAN, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst Köln, Cologne, Germany (2022), Longing for Nature - Reading Landscapes in Chinese Art, Museum Rietberg, Zurich, Switzelrand (2020), Unscrolled: Reframing Tradition in Chinese Contemporary Art, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (2014), Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China, The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York, USA (2013).

Among others, his work has been presented at the Sao Paolo Biennale, Brazil (1996), the Venice Biennale, Italy (1999), and the Shanghai Biennale, China (2004).

¹ Qiu Shi-hua, Qiu Shi-hua on the Art of Painting, exhibition leaflet, Chang Tsong-Zung, 1st ed., Hanart TZ, 1995