BIOGRAPHY

Shaolin Zhong is a trailblazer in contemporary Chinese dyeing art and a leading figure in dyeing painting. With over four decades of artistic exploration, Zhong has redefined traditional Chinese textile and dyeing techniques by integrating them with modern art concepts such as abstraction and deconstruction. His works are celebrated for their vibrancy, depth, and transformative storytelling, bridging cultural traditions with contemporary artistic practices.

A graduate of Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in China and Tama Art University in Japan, Zhong later served as a professor at the College of Art and Design at Beijing University of Technology. Now based in Thailand, he draws inspiration from nature, using landscapes, seascapes, and flora and fauna as foundational elements to explore his profound connection with the natural world.

Zhong’s practice blends traditional Chinese dyeing techniques with modern aesthetics, employing materials such as wax and resist dye methods. His unique style emerges from the interplay of “water-based pigments” that create organic diffusion and “oil-based pigments” layered with deliberate precision. His works, characterised by dynamic curves, intricate layering, and harmonious colour palettes, challenge conventional distinctions between fine art and craft.

By pioneering innovative approaches, Shaolin Zhong has inspired a new generation of artists to explore the intersection of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary art. His contributions continue to shape and elevate the global perception of Chinese textile and dyeing art.

STATEMENT

Exploration, breakthroughs, persistence and passion are important elements in Zhong Shaolin’s life.

Zhong Shaolin’s coloured paintings originate from nature, mostly using nature’s landscape, sea and air, plants and animals as the basic materials, and through artistic processing means, he creates and paints pictures with different sensibilities, in order to express his feelings and collisions with nature.

In the painting language and technique system of his works, there are both the natural effects of haloing and clashing colours between ‘water-based pigments’ and the artificial control of repeated superimposition and layering of ‘oil-based pigments’. With a broad artistic vision and obsessive pursuit of art, he takes a unique approach to organically integrating painting, design and traditional techniques to form his unique style. His works wander between nature, heart and brushstrokes, an expression of the depths of the soul. His creative conception is not limited by the existing subject matter and bound by the pattern, but boldly innovates and practices to express more unknown worlds.

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