Zhou Jun, is born in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China and graduated from the Nanjing Normal University, Academy of Fine Arts, Photography Department. He currently lives and works in Nanjing. The last thirty years of the Chinese economic miracle has led to unprecedented changes, perhaps the most obvious being the metamorphosis of the numerous Chinese capital cities. At times marveled for their engineering endeavors and glamourous makeovers, these metropolises have equally been the focus of much debate as a result of the demolition of ancient architecture and heritage sites that stood in the way of this transformation. The result is a new modernity that bears testament to the contradictions and contrasts of the new China today. As a photographer, Zhou Jun seeks to reveal through his unique brand of black and white photography the socio-historical narration of some of these sweeping changes. Like the works of Bernd and Hillar Becher who photographed the abandoned mineshafts and silos in post-war Germany, Zhou Jun is dedicated to immortalizing the icons of China’s architecture in their states of glory, construction and isolation. With a distinct palette of greys, deliberately devoid of strong blacks and whites, Zhou Jun is constantly exploring and redefining with heightened sensitivity this constantly evolving landscape. He constructs a brave new world almost devoid of human existence where imposing buildings dominate and engage with one another. While a Northern Song landscape painting in accordance with Taoist principles pays homage to Nature by reducing the presence of human existence to an insignificant proportion, Zhou Jun creates a contemporary universe where the human condition “kowtows” instead to a concrete jungle that has taken a life of its own. The viewer is struck immediately by the red overlay that has become the artist’s trademark and by its multifaceted symbolism. The “rouge” that is an awe-inspiring political symbol continues to shape and leave an indelible mark on a society where the old confronts the new and conflicting ideologies co-exist in a delicate equilibrium. Zhou’s work’s is available at Gallerie Paris-Beijing in Paris ( see bellow the presentation ) that we invite you to take in ocnsideration, as they pay a really big attention on contemporary chinese artists, so you will be astonished of the quality of art you can see exposed there.
GALERIE PARIS-BEIJING By Flore & Romain Degoul
Founded in 2006 by Flore and Romain Degoul, Galerie Paris-Beijing is dedicated to represent emerging and established artists within two main artistic focuses which are contemporary photography and more generally, the asian art scene. Devoted to initiate a dialogue and create a bridge between the east and the west, the gallery sets up a demanding programmation based on the discovery and international promotion of a new generation of asian artists whose original and conceptual creativity associates aesthetic considerations with technical mastery. Passionate and vibrant, Galerie Paris-Beijing offers its artists three exhibition spaces in Paris, Beijing and more recently Brussels with a total surface up to a thousand square meters. The gallery particularly supports rising artists with the ultimate goal to make them parts of important art collections; this is why, in addition to local exposure, Galerie Paris- Beijing publishes art books and catalogues on their behalf, as well as presenting them in the foremost international photography festivals and art fairs. At the same time, the gallery develops a residency program in its Beijing space intented for young western artists looking for an immersion in the Chinese art scene. Ultimately, the gallery bears witness to the richness of China’s contemporary photography creation through its collection, and is pleased to offer its expertise to new as well as established collectors. For more information just follow the link bellow.
www.parisbeijingphotogallery.com