Women Artists in Contemporary China

During her time as post-doctoral researcher with Tate Research Centre: Asia in 2013–14, Dr Monica Merlin conducted a series of interviews with Chinese women artists. Building on her extensive background in Chinese art history, Monica’s current research focuses on contemporary Chinese art and visual culture, with a special interest in the practice of women artists in mainland China, and gender as a method for art history. We are proud to publish a number of these interviews here, and will be adding further interviews over the coming weeks.

Photograph of artist Xiang Jing
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Xiang Jing 向京

Xiang Jing (born 1968) works primarily with fibreglass sculpture to express her investigation of the ‘internality’ of human nature. Her …

Artist Yu Hong in her studio
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Yu Hong 喻红

Graduate of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1988, Yu Hong (born 1966) is one of the most representative …

Artist Cai Jin in the studio
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Cai Jin 蔡锦

Cai Jin (born 1965) works with oil paint in vibrant colours. Her most celebrated work is the Banana Plant series, …

Artist Chen Qiulin
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Chen Qiulin 陈秋林

Chen Qiulin (born 1975) works primarily with the moving image but also performance, photography and installation. Interested in reality for …

Artist Fang Lu
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Fang Lu 方璐

Working in moving image, Fang Lu (born 1981) is inspired by popular culture and daily life experience. Her work reveals …

Artist Gao Ling
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Gao Ling 高灵

Gao Ling (born 1980) has an interdisciplinary approach, encompassing installation, photography and performance. Within her works Gao challenges the relationship …

Artist Han Yajuan
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Han Yajuan 韩娅娟

As part of the post-1978 generation, Han Yajuan (born 1980) is concerned with China’s socio-cultural transformations and new materialistic trends. …

Artist He Chengyao
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He Chengyao 何成瑶

Through a combination of performance, video and photography, He Chengyao (born 1964) explores gender, mental illness and the body as …

Artist Hu Xiaoyuan
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Hu Xiaoyuan 胡晓媛

Hu Xiaoyuan (born 1977) employs a variety of media within her works, including video, performance and installations. She uses mixed …

Artist Lin Jinjing
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Lin Jingjing 林菁菁

Lin Jingjing (born 1970) employs varied media including video, photography and performance to explore notions of social and personal identity …

Artist Lin Tianmiao
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Lin Tianmiao 林天苗

In the early 1990s Lin Tianmiao (born 1961) returned to Beijing after several years in New York, and established herself …

Photography of artist Tao Aimin
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Tao Aimin 陶艾民

Tao Aimin (born 1974) works across media often combining installation with oil painting and video. Tao has worked on several …

Artist Xiao Lu
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Xiao Lu 肖鲁

Xiao Lu (born 1962) works with performance, installation and video. She gained fame by shooting her own installation, Dialogue, at …

Artist Yin Xiuzhen at Pace Gallery, 2013
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Yin Xiuzhen 尹秀珍

Yin Xiuzhen (born 1963) works primarily in installation, but also painting and other media. As one of the most established …