Biography
Chen Long is a contemporary Chinese woodblock print artist whose vivid, surrealist compositions draw from the vast plains and resilient people of China's remote northeast. Born in 1971 in Heilongjiang Province, he is an integral member of the Beidahuang Art School, a community of artists based in the agricultural frontier region known historically as the Great Northern Wilderness.
In 1993, Chen began his studies at the Graphic Art Department of the Central Arts Institute of China in Beijing. After graduating, he returned to his homeland in Beidahuang, where the expansive landscapes, harsh winters, and vibrant folk traditions of the region became the foundation of his artistic vision. As he has noted, the color in the north of China is white and cold, but the people who live there are passionate, and this tension between environment and spirit animates his work.
Chen Long's prints are characterized by fine carving, vivid color, and surrealist composition. He favors horizontal formats and curved horizons that convey the vastness of the northern plains, populated with nomadic herders, farmers during harvest, and fantastical creatures that seem to emerge from folk memory. His use of blue and red hues creates a distinctive chromatic signature that is immediately recognizable. Each print is produced using traditional woodblock techniques in limited editions of fifty to one hundred copies, hand-signed and numbered by the artist.
He is a member of the Chinese Printmaking Artists Association and the Beidahuang Artist Association. His work has been exhibited in Xi'an, Shenzhen, Tokyo, Krakow, and Beijing, and has received gold medals at national exhibitions in 1995 and 1997. His prints are represented by Ronin Gallery in New York and have been collected internationally.
Key Facts
- Active Period
- 1971
- Nationality
- 🇨🇳China
- Movement
- Contemporary Mokuhanga
- Subjects
- Abstract
- Works Indexed
- 3
Frequently Asked Questions
Chen Long is a contemporary Chinese woodblock print artist whose vivid, surrealist compositions draw from the vast plains and resilient people of China's remote northeast. Born in 1971 in Heilongjiang Province, he is an integral member of the Beidahuang Art School, a community of artists based in the agricultural frontier region known historically as the Great Northern Wilderness.
Chen Long was active born in 1971. They were associated with the Contemporary Mokuhanga movement.
Chen Long's work was shaped by the Contemporary Mokuhanga tradition in Japanese woodblock printmaking. Contemporary Mokuhanga: Contemporary mokuhanga (literally "wood-block print") encompasses artists working from approximately 1970 to the present who continue or reinvent traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques.
Chen Long's prints frequently feature abstract.
Original prints by Chen Long can be found in collections including British Museum, Japanese Art Open Database.
Chen Long is a gallery-represented printmaker whose work has been shown at established galleries specializing in contemporary Japanese prints. Gallery representation provides a consistent market. Prices range from $150 for smaller works to $3,000 for major compositions. Most prints sell in the $300–$1000 range. Gallery representation provides curated exposure and supports steady demand.
