Hanmo

Hanmo is a contemporary artist and art theorist. In 2016, he relocated from Beijing to Los Angeles. His practice encompasses Contemporary Color-Ink and Experimental Tension, through which he developed the theoretical framework of Contemporary Color-Ink and proposed TSG Art Generativism. His work and theory have been the subject of academic discussions at U.S. universities, including two dedicated symposia at UCLA, and have been presented in multiple academic exhibitions in the United States. In China, his works have been included in national art textbooks by the Ministry of Education; he has served as a national exhibition juror for the China Artists Association, and the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University established the “Han Mo Studio of Contemporary Color-Ink” in his name.

Selected Exhibitions & Symposia

  • 2020–2025｜Focused on artistic transformation and theoretical research, producing the Experimental Tension series and formulating the theoretical framework of TSG Art Generativism

  • 2019｜Kylin Gallery, Three-Artist Exhibition with Shingo Francis, Yoshio Ikezaki, and Han Mo, Beverly Hills

  • 2019｜UCSD University Art Gallery, Invitational Exhibition, San Diego

  • 2019｜Hudson Museum Art Center, International Academic Nomination Exhibition, New York

  • 2018｜Los Angeles Art Show, Special Invited Artist, Solo Section, Los Angeles Convention Center

  • 2017｜Cornell University, Invited to present a paper at an art symposium, United States

  • 2015｜UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), Symposium dedicated to Han Mo’s Contemporary Color-Ink Theory and artistic practice

  • 2014｜UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), Symposium on Han Mo’s art

  • 2014｜“Han Mo Contemporary Color-Ink Invitational Exhibition,” San Gabriel (Los Angeles area)

  • 2013｜Contemporary Color-Ink Art Museum, “Chinese Contemporary Color-Ink Masters Invitational Exhibition,” Beijing

  • 2009｜National Art Museum of China, “Shandong Artists Academic Exhibition,” Beijing

  • Since 2000｜Over twenty solo exhibitions in major Chinese cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Luoyang, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Dongguan, Huizhou, Guangzhou, Weihai, Qingdao, Jinan, and Zibo; also participated in academic group exhibitions in Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the United States

Research · Teaching · Publications

  • Interdisciplinary Research (2020–present)｜Initiated with the aim of responding to the “crisis of the image,” Han Mo has carried out cross-disciplinary studies in philosophy, visual science, psychology, classical culture, and art theory, systematically constructing TSG Art Generativism. He has completed a nearly 200,000-word English-language manuscript, currently in the process of publication

  • Tsinghua University Project (2010–2017)｜The Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University established the “Han Mo Studio of Contemporary Color-Ink” to conduct research and teaching on Han Mo’s theory and practice, cultivating nearly one hundred emerging Chinese artists. The studio also organized large-scale “Han Mo and Students Contemporary Color-Ink Exhibitions” in more than twenty cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jinan, Xuzhou, Dongguan, and Shantou

  • Academic Lectures｜Invited to give lectures at more than ten universities, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Xiamen University, North Minzu University, and China University of Mining and Technology, to elaborate on his theory of Contemporary Color-Ink

  • Institutions & Projects｜Established Contemporary Color-Ink Art Museum, China Contemporary Color-Ink Art Institute, and Beijing Color-Ink Art Center in Beijing, as well as the Han Mo Contemporary Color-Ink Art Center in Weihai

  • Media & Criticism｜Extensively covered by leading art media such as China Art News and Art Observation, including multiple full-page features dedicated to his theories and works

  • Textbooks & Publications｜In 2009, his representative works were included in the Ministry of Education’s national textbook Chinese Painting, used across Chinese universities. Since 2000, he has published more than one million words of art theory in academic journals and mainstream media. His books include Han Mo Contemporary Color-Ink, Traces of Han Mo, and Studies on Masters of Chinese Painting – Han Mo; he also served as editor-in-chief for over fifty volumes of Studies on Masters of Chinese Painting

  • Academic Positions｜Member, China Artists Association; former Executive Secretary, Shandong Artists Association; former Chairman, Shandong Youth Artists Association; Member, National Youth Federation of the Ministry of Culture of China; and for many years served as academic director and art director of major exhibitions such as the Chinese Contemporary Bird-and-Flower Masters Invitational Exhibition and the Shandong International Art Expo

Achievements Summary

  • Artistic Practice｜Centered on Contemporary Color-Ink while extending into cross-media and installation, creating the Experimental Tension series

  • Theoretical Contribution｜Proposed TSG Art Generativism, reconstructing the mechanism of image-making and viewing through the chain of “tension–structure–generation”

  • Academic & Educational Work｜Directed research, publications, and international exchanges, advancing the integration of Color-Ink language with contemporary visual theory