Rao Fu

Born in 1978 in Beijing, China, Rao Fu is a talented Chinese artist based in Dresden and Leipzig, Germany. His artistic practice beautifully embodies a fusion of diverse cultural influences and philosophies from both the East and the West.

Drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese landscape painting, calligraphy, and European artistic traditions, such as Edvard Munch, Peter Doig, and the Dresden School, Rao Fu creates a distinctive visual language of colors and forms. Through this approach, he enriches Saxon Neo-expressionism by incorporating Asian elements, creating a unique artistic expression.

Rao Fu's Biography and Achievements

Rao Fu's educational journey spans from 1999 to 2010, beginning with his undergraduate studies in design at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Following this, he pursued an extensive period of study at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, focusing on painting, graphic arts, and art therapy from 2002 to 2010. During studies with Siegfried Klotz and Elke Hopfe, Fu delved into various aspects of art, including the traditional painting methods and techniques of the Dresden School. In 2008, Fu received the status of a 'Meisterstudiu' student and continued his advanced program with Professor Ralf Kerbach.

His dedication and talent have been recognized through prestigious awards and scholarships, such as the DAAD Scholarship for Fine Arts in 2006, the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation grant from 2008 to 2012, and the Cultural Donation of the Free State of Saxony scholarship in 2014. In 2017, he received the scholarship of the 14th Hall Artist of Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei. In 2020, he was granted the 'Denkzeit' grant sponsored by the Cultural Donation of the Free State of Saxony.

Rao Fu's artistic achievements have garnered attention, and his works have found homes in esteemed institutions such as the National Museum of History and Art of Luxembourg (MNHA), the Saxon Art Foundation in Germany, and the Dresden National Gallery. His solo exhibitions are held at prestigious galleries like Fergus McCaffrey Gallery in New York, Galerie Vazieux Paris in France, Gallery EIGENHEIM Berlin, Galerie Irrgang and HALLE 14 in Germany, and Platform China Contemporary Art Institute in Beijing.

The art style of Rao Fu

Rao Fu derived his formal language from the rich heritage of traditional Chinese landscape painting and calligraphy, which he learned from his grandfather. Additionally, he was influenced by European artistic traditions like Neo-Expressionism during his studies at the Dresden Academy of Fine Art.

Fu's artistic exploration delves into themes of dreams and reality, the fusion of different worlds, and his personal experiences, all of which play a big role in his work. In his paintings, he skillfully combines various techniques, blending calligraphic brushwork with Neo-expressionist gestures. The dream-like ambiance of his pieces is heightened through an expressive and dynamic interplay of contrasting colors, such as pyrrhoorange and dark blue, drawing from art therapy theories. Fu deliberately plays with perspective, rendering it unfixed and multiplied, leaving room for a multitude of interpretations and approaches to his works. One of his primary techniques is to direct and divert the observer's gaze through scattering.

Recently, Rao has been focusing more on producing large-scale paintings featuring multiple groups of figures and even more intense color palettes. His art is a dialogue with both European and Asian art history while also embracing contemporary global discourse.