Yanbei
Lisbon-based artist Yanbei explores an artistic space between calligraphy and topography with his use of bold, repetitive contour lines laid over subtle washes of inviting colours. Recalling the traditions of calligraphy and ink scroll paintings, both practices central to Chinese history, Yanbei thus uses his art to recall his cultural past while carrying it forward into the realm of the elegantly abstract. Collections like his “Fingerprint” series showcase this blend with its pairing of precise repetition and spiritual mysticism.
Hailing from Beijing, China, Yanbei earned his degree from the College of Fine Arts of Capital Normal University and turned after graduation to a career as a fine arts teacher. At the turn of the century, he shifted focus to form his own advertising and environmental art company, where he worked on several notable landscape architecture projects. Since 2014, Yanbei has devoted himself exclusively to his art. The result has been a spate of successful exhibitions, including the Shui Mo He Wei Exhibition at the Beijing Song Zhuang Art Festival (2017) and his solo show, “Restart,” in the Macau Scientific and Cultural Centre in Lisbon, Portugal (2019).