Huang Rui

Huang Rui's work is characterized by symmetry and simplicity of form, as well as by the use of primary colors. His work stands alone as aesthetically pleasing; however, he is recognized as a socially minded, and thus often controversial, artist. Throughout his career, he has continued to be vocal about his belief in the importance of free expression—and as a result, he has faced a large amount of censorship from the government.

Most recently, Huang Rui has been considered the major vocal advocate of the 798 Art Zone in Beijing. He was instrumental in the establishment of the art district in 2002, and in efforts to protect the area from demolition in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, 798 became the first state recognized and protected art district in China. This success was due in a large part to Huang Rui's efforts to promote the district through the Dashanzi International Art Festivals (DIAF) and his book 798 in Beijing.

Huang Rui's work has been widely exhibited, both in China and abroad, over the last three decades. Recent group exhibitions include Reshaping History: 2002-2009 Chinese Contemporary Art at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, and China Avant-Garde at the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands. Recent solo exhibitions include Texts are the Legacy of Great Thought! at Chinese Contemporary in New York City, Les Rencontres d'Arles festival in France (2007), Comerchina at 10 Chancery Lane in Hong Kong, Animal Time in Chinese History at the Museo delle Mura in Rome and Huang Rui—The Stars' Time, 1977-1984 at He Xiang Ning Art Museum in Shenzhen, China.

Huang Rui was a founding member of the Chinese avant-garde art group the "Stars," which included artists Wang Keping, Ai Weiwei, Mao Lizi, Ma Desheng and Li Shuang and was active in from 1979 to 1983. This groundbreaking group of amateur artists was the first publicly active art collective to protest government censorship after the Cultural Revolution. The group made headlines in 1979 when, under the direction of Huang Rui and Ma Desheng, they held an exhibition outside the China Arts Gallery (now the National Art Museum of China). On the third day of the exhibit, the police shut it down, stating that these activities "affect the normal life of the public and the social order." Before this, the majority of their exhibits were held secretly in private homes, where the artists would participate in lively debates about topics ranging from Western art trends to artistic freedom.

In 1978, Huang Rui co-published the literary journal Today (今天), which was thought to be "one of the most radical publications in circulation after the Cultural Revolution." The journal, which was in circulation for three years, included both the poetry and prose of such writers as Bei Dao, Gu Cheng, Mang Ke, Shu Ting, and Yang Lian.

Huang Rui (born 1952) is a Chinese artist known for his social and cultural criticism.

Huang Rui was born in Beijing in 1952. During the Cultural Revolution, he was sent at the age of 16 to Inner Mongolia where he worked as a farmer. He later returned to Beijing, working in a leather company until 1979. There, he studied art briefly at Beijing Worker's Cultural Center.