Hanmo
Han Mo (Shouguang Han, b. 1971) 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 he was appointed mentor of the Han Mo Modern Color-Ink Studio at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (2011). His works are collected by 죽포미술관 (Jukpo Misulgwan, a private museum in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea) and the Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum, Chengdu.
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｜The Hue, Kylin Gallery, Beverly Hills — three-artist exhibition with Yoshio Ikezaki (Professor, ArtCenter College of Design) and Shingo Francis (American abstract artist; son of Sam Francis)
2019｜UCSD University Art Gallery, Invitational Exhibition, San Diego
2019｜Hudson Museum Art Center, International Academic Nomination Exhibition, New York
2018｜Invited Artist, National Exhibition of China (presented by China Cultural Media Group, supported by the Ministry of Culture of China), LA Art Show
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. Author of TSG Art Generativism (book-length study in progress).
Tsinghua University Project (2011–2017)｜In 2011, the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University established the Han Mo Modern Color-Ink Studio 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｜His representative works were included in the Ministry of Education’s national textbook Chinese Painting, the only modern color-ink flower-and-bird painting among its 267 model works, used at more than 100 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 43 volumes of Studies on Masters of Chinese Painting
Academic Positions｜Member, China Artists Association; Presidium Member and Executive Deputy Secretary-General, 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｜Propose the TSG Art Generativism Theory to reconstruct a new paradigm and methodology for images, and to establish a guideline for image generation paradigms and creative practices in the era of artificial intelligence
Academic & Educational Work｜Directed research, publications, and international exchanges, advancing the integration of Color-Ink language with contemporary visual theory
Teaching｜Lectures and symposia at UCLA (2014, 2015, 2016); appointed mentor of the Han Mo Modern Color-Ink Studio at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (2011).