legend of a collection

Legend of a Collection- Exhibition and Charity Sale of Zheng Shengtian's Personal Collection, from October 7th, 2021 to November 19th, 2021. Presenting the premium art collection of renowned artist, scholar and curator Zheng Shengtian, the exhibition will include over 60 artworks from contemporary and traditional artists. An online presentation will accompany the exhibition. All proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Zheng Shengtian Art Foundation (ZAF).

As a mentor, professor and friend to many artists, Zheng Shengtian observed the emergence and development of Chinese contemporary art and was an integral part of bringing modern and contemporary Chinese art to the global community. His personal collection and the foundation of the exhibition includes notable works by artists active in the 20th and 21st centuries including Guan Liang, Lu Yanshao, Zhu Naizheng, Wu Shanming, Luofu, Cai Guoqiang, Chen Danqing, Wang Donglin, Gu Wenda, Wang Tiande, Wang Gongyi, Yan Shanchun, Gordon Smith, among others.

Legend of a collection- Exhibition and Charity Sale of Zheng Shengtian's Personal Collection recalls the spirit and energy of the 1980s and 1990s in China, exploring the early beginnings of contemporary Chinese art through the personal relationships between Zheng and many artists. This exhibition explores the friendship between Zheng Shengtian and several artists and scholars, and their shared devotion to art, through archive materials including photos, letters, and interview clips. In addition to the traditional presentation of artworks, the exhibition creates a narrative that enables viewers to appreciate the artwork but also the passion and dedication of the caretaker as told through his collection.

This exhibition is free to the public. All artworks can also be viewed and inquired online.

ABOUT ZHENG SHENGTIAN

Zheng Shengtian is an artist, scholar, and curator based in Vancouver, Canada. He is the Managing Editor of Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, the Adjunct Director of the Institute of Asian Art, Vancouver Art Gallery, a Research Fellow at Simon Fraser University, and a Trustee of Asia Art Archive in America. In the 1980s he taught at China Academy of Art in Hangzhou as Professor and Department Chair. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Minnesota and at San Diego State University. Since immigrated to Canada in 1990 he was the Chairman of the Chinese Canadian Artists Federation in Vancouver, the Secretary of Annie Wong Art Foundation, and the co-founder of the Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (Centre A). As an independent curator, he has curated or co-curated numerous exhibitions including Jiangnan - Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art Exhibitions (Vancouver), Shanghai Modern (Munich), the 2004 Shanghai Biennale, Art and China’s Revolution (New York), Landmark (Beijing) and recently, Winds from Fusang: Mexico and China in 20th Century toured to USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena and the Diego Rivera Mural Museum in Mexico City. He was the senior curator for the Asia of Vancouver Biennale and won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his curatorial work. He is a frequent contributor to periodicals and catalogues and four volumes of his writing on art and culture were published by the China Academy of Art Press in 2013. His artwork has been showing in China, the USA, Canada, and Russia. Zheng received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2013.

ABOUT ZHENG SHENGTIAN ART FOUNDATION

ZHENG SHENGTIAN ART FOUNDATION is a non-profit charity organization initiated by Zheng Shengtian and supported by generous patrons of the arts. It was registered and established in British Columbia, Canada in 2020. The objectives of the foundation are to enhance public awareness and appreciation of the importance of cultural exchanges between Canada and other countries; facilitated through research, conferences, exhibitions, and public programming projects. ZAF particularly focuses on supporting the research, writing, publication, and archiving of the history of cross-cultural dialogue in Canada and abroad.

ZHENG SHENGTIAN ART FOUNDATION is funded by donations from individuals, companies, and institutions. Zheng Shengtian has first offered his personal collection of 60 artworks. All proceeds from the sales will be donated to provide an operational budget for the foundation. At present, ZAF is collaborating on various projects with the Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong, the Institute of Contemporary Art and Social Thought of China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, the Long March Projects, Beijing in China and the Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada.