In 1982, he graduated from Fine Arts Department of Northwest Normal University, major in oil painting;
1982 – 1984, he disobeyed the allocation of the university and became the society ranger for two years and three months;
In 1984, he was re-assigned to Golden City Bonsai Garden, a subsidiary of Lanzhou Garden Bureau;
In 1985, he signed a Leave Without Pay Contract with his unit and became a truly free person;
1985 – 1989, he created a lot of so called modern art works of that time, named "85 Black Game" series, which include paintings, pottery, woodcarving, etc.;
In 1985, he held Lanzhou 858 Modern Art Exhibition, and prepared for the establishment of Oriental Art Salon;
In 1986, he began to produce ceramics and found Lanzhou Special Institute of Arts;
In 1987, he held Yang Shufeng Modern Ceramics Exhibition, exhibiting 333 ceramics;
In 1987, he was invited to participate in a forum of Gansu young artists, at which he criticized the constraints of Chairman of Art Association to new arts;
In 1988, he held Lanzhou New Art Solo Exhibition in Lanzhou Gold City Bonsai Garden;
In 1988, he participated in China Huangshan Modern Art Seminar;
At the same year, his works were selected to be exhibited in the contemporary art exhibition held by Art Museum of China, but he refused;
1979 - 1989, he created more than 500 pieces of paintings, more than 1,000 pieces of ceramics and more than 50 pieces of wood works;
In 1990, he held a modern art exhibition for celebrating the coming of Asian Games; from then on, he did not attend any domestic art events and exhibitions ever and began to reflect 85 Arts and devote himself to artistic creation;
1990 – 1992, he was confined to bed for illness for three years;
In 1993, he came to Hainan to start his business, devoted to artistic creation and began to undertake decorative project;
In 1996, he began his lone turbulent life in the United States, and did not stop devoting to his artistic creation;
1989 – 2009, he created a large number of new works and wrote a large number of articles of great explore and study value on art creation, reflection of 85 thought and the current social and artistic issues, which will be rolled out to the society later.
Art Exhibition of 333 pieces of art works（1979-1989）,Yang Shufeng
Preface
As for Contemporary Chinese Art, the 85 Modernization Art Movement was a fiery and unforgettable memory. Although the 1989 "Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition" made it end in hurry and in quarrels, it still bore deep imprint tothe entire art world and produced a far-reaching impact to the Chinese contemporary art.
After a lapse of 20 years, we have been able to give a more sober and objective assessment to this movement: the beginning of 85 Modernization Art Movement is a beginning of art backwash, for art had been alienated to be a political discourse tool during "Cultural Revolution”, and 85 Modernization Art Movement was a trend of returning to the art ontology. But under the influence of the cultural environment of the whole society in the mid-to-late 1980s, it quickly deviated from the original track and involved in the movement of national spirit liberation and cultural reform, becoming thevanguard of the movement. The issues it thought, concerned and criticized had gone far beyond the so-called art range, covering all social and cultural issues.
The life impression art of Yang Shufeng, one of the 85 alternative artists, was formed at the same time and space, however, he was a lucky fish escaped net in the so-called mainstream art circles. The big environment of social development, as well as his personal life experience, pushed him to the road of exploring the elite art of that time, while, his unique personality traits, as well as his living conditions in the northwest frontier, brought him to deviate from the understanding of "explore” and from the mainstream ideas of the so-called modern elite art circles of that time. He did not look for art destination in the Western philosophical ideas and cultural values, just like what his colleagues done at that time, but found the true art destination from his inner self and own life for the issue of art ontology. He used to go to enjoy the game of life with heartily art freehand for three decades, without intermittent. This kind of inward exploration made him more and more isolated in society, but become increasingly rich in spirit.
His creation during this period all began with the establishment of the meaning of life, the value of art, the pure art language and the artistic spirit, creating a large number of works with different materials and different means. His works are just like his life diary, and himself, after the run-in of life and many artistic languages, including realism, performance, abstraction, concepts, behavior and public, in just five or six years, left 500 pieces of life freehand works. Without internal vitality, how could he complete so many works in exploring state! Only one explanation, that is he is already forgot create itself, but to painting with life.
Of course，in the ranks of 85 modernization art of China, the absence of Yang Shufeng had instead enabled him to get a piece of wild land to create an special system. His works are the games of life and the bold freehand, seems irregular, but reveals the true order.
The value of works of Yang Shufeng lies in their consistent exploration of art ontology without deviation and also lies in their successful conquest of the viewer in levels of human nature, spirit and life. His art reflects life, runs throughout life and can exchange with people across time, space and culture. At this time, Holding the Art Exhibition for the 333 pieces 85 life-freehand art works (1979-1989)of Yang Shufeng, can make viewer not only share his artistic achievements and life experience, but also correct the spirit and conscious deviation of people to 85 modernization art movement, enabling people find spiritual artistic value from the 85 elite culture and pushing the rational thinking of art and culture to the whole society, as well as calling for the respect of the society to pure humanized arts spirit. The exhibition works are part of the works that the author created at 1980s (1979-1989), including painting, literature, pictures, etc. The audience will feel the Evolution and establishment of the art style of the artist in a more three-dimensional and more realistic way. The author used a variety of materials, including oil paintings, inkwash painting, cardboard painting, carving, pottery (picture) and so on.
For a very long period of time in the past, some so-called artists established untrue artistic language for a dialogue with the West, and led to the failure of artistic vitality at the same time that they sought for approval, although they obtained a temporary success, they brought great harm to the art creation, causing serious arts and culture lag. Going into the twenty-first century, China has begun to win focus attention of the world, and Chinese contemporary art has also been concerned by the world, bring a opportunity for the development of pure art works of strong vitality, which requires joint work of all artists who love art and respect art.
Fortunately, Yang Shufeng has become the pioneer in pursuit of artistic truth and conducting of art practice three decades ago. Let us share these life freehand arts created by the collision of vitality and society, as well as this visional and spiritual gluttonous feast, appreciating a life art trip of all mankind.
畫家楊樹峰近影