Xu Bing

(Chinese, born 1955)

Xu Bing is a contemporary Chinese installation artist and one of China’s best-known creative figures. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, he is celebrated for his “capacity to contribute importantly to society, particularly in printmaking and calligraphy.” Born in Chongqing, China in 1955, Xu grew up in Beijing where he studied printmaking at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. One of his best-known works, Book from the Sky (1987–1991), earned Xu international recognition in the 1980s. The work is a massive installation of hundreds of volumes and scrolls printed with 4,000 imagined Chinese characters, which were cut by hand into wood printing blocks. Describing his art practice, Xu has said: “I treat it in a wild way, not in a fixed way. This is good—you can bring something special, something new into contemporary art. If you can find a correct way to face your background, your tradition, maybe you can change that background in a good way.” Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the British Museum in London, among other major institutions. Xu currently lives and works in Beijing, China and New York, NY.

Related Categories

Asian Art, Contemporary Art, Drawings and Works on Paper

Related Artists

Gu Gan, Lui Shou-Kwan, Qin Feng, Wang Tiande, Yang Jiechang

Xu Bing Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Xu Bing (429 results)
Mountainous place, 1986

Xu Bing

Mountainous place, 1986

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Sun and flower, 1984

Xu Bing

Sun and flower, 1984

Sale Date: June 2, 2007

Auction Closed

Book from the sky (4 works), 1987–1991

Xu Bing

Book from the sky (4 works), 1987–1991

Sale Date: May 27, 2007

Auction Closed

A mirror to analyze the world I; Page 75, 1989

Xu Bing

A mirror to analyze the world I; Page 75, 1989

Sale Date: May 27, 2007

Auction Closed

My book, 1992–1998

Xu Bing

My book, 1992–1998

Sale Date: April 25, 2007

Auction Closed

New English calligraphy, in the service of..., 2000

Xu Bing

New English calligraphy, in the service of..., 2000

Sale Date: April 7, 2007

Auction Closed

A mirror to analyze the world (3 scrolls), 1988

Xu Bing

A mirror to analyze the world (3 scrolls), 1988

Sale Date: March 21, 2007

Auction Closed

Square word calligraphy: Art for the people, 2006

Xu Bing

Square word calligraphy: Art for the people, 2006

Sale Date: March 21, 2007

Auction Closed

Square word - New English calligraphy

Xu Bing

Square word - New English calligraphy

Sale Date: February 9, 2007

Auction Closed

The five series of repetitions: Living pond, 1986

Xu Bing

The five series of repetitions: Living pond, 1986

Sale Date: November 22, 2006

Auction Closed

Nothing gold can stay (triptych), 2001

Xu Bing

Nothing gold can stay (triptych), 2001

Sale Date: November 26, 2006

Auction Closed

A mirror to analyze the world; page 74, 1988

Xu Bing

A mirror to analyze the world; page 74, 1988

Sale Date: November 26, 2006

Auction Closed

Chuang chia de, 1987

Xu Bing

Chuang chia de, 1987

Sale Date: November 26, 2006

Auction Closed

A mirror to analyze the world (study for A..., 1988

Xu Bing

A mirror to analyze the world (study for A..., 1988

Sale Date: November 26, 2006

Auction Closed

Square word calligraphy - Irresistible, 2005

Xu Bing

Square word calligraphy - Irresistible, 2005

Sale Date: November 17, 2006

Auction Closed

Square word calligraphy - Classroom book (2..., 2001

Xu Bing

Square word calligraphy - Classroom book (2..., 2001

Sale Date: November 17, 2006

Auction Closed

Book from the sky (set of 4), 1988–1991

Xu Bing

Book from the sky (set of 4), 1988–1991

Sale Date: October 9, 2006

Auction Closed

Page from a mirror to analyze the world, 1990

Xu Bing

Page from a mirror to analyze the world, 1990

Sale Date: September 20, 2006

Auction Closed

Landscript: Revisit, 2002

Xu Bing

Landscript: Revisit, 2002

Sale Date: May 28, 2006

Auction Closed

Square word calligraphy (2 works), 1977

Xu Bing

Square word calligraphy (2 works), 1977

Sale Date: April 8, 2006

Auction Closed

Landscript, 2000

Xu Bing

Landscript, 2000

Sale Date: April 8, 2006

Auction Closed

Seal project, 2001

Xu Bing

Seal project, 2001

Sale Date: April 8, 2006

Auction Closed

Square word calligraphy - Chairman Mao's..., 2001

Xu Bing

Square word calligraphy - Chairman Mao's..., 2001

Sale Date: March 31, 2006

Auction Closed

The living word, 2001

Xu Bing

The living word, 2001

Sale Date: March 31, 2006

Auction Closed

English (US)

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