©_lijiayuann
Who is Allen Lin?
Allen Lin, born as Lin Fang on April 4, 1970, in Beijing, China, is a multifaceted figure in the entertainment world of mainland China. He has made significant contributions as a male singer, actor, host, and even a chef.
His journey in the entertainment industry began in 1993 when he released his debut solo music album, "Love Bird." This marked his official entry into the music scene. In 1995, he graced the stage of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala for the first time, gaining recognition on a national level. Subsequently, he continued to release notable solo music albums such as "Love Aristocrat" in 1997, "Love in 2000" in 2000, and "Setting Off for Happiness" in 2001.
In 2002, Allen Lin's talent was acknowledged with the Special Recommendation Award for Best Stage Performance Male Singer at the 8th Global Chinese Music Charts, along with the Most Promising Male Singer award at the 2nd Music Fengyun Awards. Expanding his horizons, he ventured into acting and starred in his debut film, "Urban Rhapsody," in 2003. His versatile abilities led him to become the host of the CCTV-3 variety show "Zongyi Daguan" in 2004, and he was honored with the Gold Award Singer award in the same year.
Further diversifying his career, Allen Lin took on the role of the male lead, Zeng Ronghua, in the period drama "Nie Huo" in 2005. His popularity soared, and in 2006, he secured the Mainland China's Most Popular Male Singer award at the 8th CCTV-MTV Music Awards.
In 2007, he continued to thrive, releasing his eighth solo music album, "Happy Hero." Simultaneously, he delved into the world of musical theater, earning a nomination for the Best Actor award at the 17th Shanghai Magnolia Drama Awards for his performance in the musical "I Love You." He also received the New York State Asian-American Cultural Outstanding Contribution Award during this prolific year.
In the spirit of unity, Allen Lin joined a lineup of fellow artists to lend his voice to the Olympic song "Beijing Welcomes You" in 2008. This was a testament to his commitment to both his craft and his country.
In 2010, he expanded his repertoire by taking on the role of host for the Huayu Satellite TV health and food program "Linjia Shipu." He continued to diversify his acting career, appearing in the urban romance film "Hidden Marriage" in 2011. As his career progressed, he ventured into hosting and self-produced content, hosting the self-produced food program "Chuangshi Ji" on Youku in 2015.
In 2019, Allen Lin showcased his artistic side by publishing his first photography art book, titled "Micro View of the Forbidden City." His passion for exploring various facets of culture and art remained undiminished.
In 2020, he ventured into hosting a cross-cultural food documentary program titled "Fengwei Shiyanshi - New Year Special," further demonstrating his versatility and dedication to culinary exploration.
In June 2021, he embraced a new challenge by participating in the Zhejiang variety show "Heard It's Delicious," showcasing his culinary skills and love for food.
©vanessaleelj
An impressive assortment of Chinese contemporary art
Allen Lin possesses an impressive assortment of Chinese contemporary art, showcasing works from both emerging and established artists. His collection includes pieces by renowned figures such as Liu Ye, Zhou Chunya, Zhou Tiehai, and Ji Dachun. His interest in and engagement with Chinese artists, including Zeng Fanzhi, Yue Minjun, and Liu Ye, began in the mid-1990s, a time when Chinese contemporary art had not yet garnered widespread recognition.
Some artists from the collection
Liu Ye
Liu Ye, born in 1964, is a contemporary Chinese painter based in Beijing. He is renowned for his vibrant paintings featuring childlike female figures, his fondness for the cartoon character Miffy the bunny, and artworks influenced by Piet Mondrian. Liu Ye belongs to a generation of artists who came of age during the Cultural Revolution. In contrast to much of acclaimed contemporary Chinese art, his creations carry minimal political connotations. Instead, he opts for a universal language to convey his inner world. His art has been showcased extensively in China, Europe, and the United States.
Zhou Chunya
Zhou Chunya (born 1955) is a notable painter recognized for his renowned series of "Green Dog" paintings. He pursued his art education at the Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts, an institution that primarily focused on producing art for political propaganda purposes during the Cultural Revolution. During this period, Zhou ventured to Tibet, where he created a series of artworks depicting nomadic life in the Socialist Realist style.
Concurrently, Zhou Chunya embraced Western painting techniques and drew inspiration from German Expressionism during his studies in Kassel, Germany. The convergence of Eastern and Western influences is palpable in his "Green Dog" series, initiated in the 1990s, which features his German Shepherd painted in vibrant green.
His artworks are characterized by dynamic and assertive brushwork reminiscent of both German Expressionism and ancient Chinese calligraphy. The green dog serves as a symbolic self-portrait. In 1999, Zhou began a series of paintings depicting pink men and women embracing amid peach blossoms, blending the traditional Chinese theme of peach blossoms with a contemporary and liberal exploration of sexuality.
Zhou's landscape series employs a more subdued color palette dominated by dark browns, portraying jagged rocks and trees. Works like "Landscape Series No.5" evoke an almost abstract quality with brushstrokes that harken back to ancient Chinese landscape painting.
A retrospective showcasing 30 years of his artistic journey was hosted at the Shanghai Art Museum in 2010. Zhou Chunya's art has been featured in numerous international galleries and museums, including the Shanghai Gallery of Art, the National Art Museum in Beijing, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Presently, he resides and works in Chengdu, China.
Zhou Tiehai
Zhou Tiehai, born in 1966, is a contemporary Chinese artist originally trained as a painter in his hometown of Shanghai. Over the years, Zhou has played a significant role in the cultural landscape of Shanghai and beyond. In 2007, he co-founded SH Contemporary, the city's inaugural international art fair. In 2010, Zhou took on the role of director at the Minsheng Art Museum. Furthermore, he established West Bund Art centre.
Ji Dachun
Born in Nantong in 1968, Ji Dachun is a Chinese artist who currently resides in Beijing. His art is characterized by an intriguing fusion of Chinese traditions and Western modern influences, resulting in a distinctive and singular mode of expression. Through his work, Ji Dachun employs wit and sharp humor to explore intricate dynamics between the East and the West. Furthermore, he delves into the capricious nature of daily existence, employing imaginative and ironic imagery that frequently involves bizarre and grotesque transformations.
Zeng Fanzhi
Zeng Fanzhi (born 1964) is a contemporary Chinese artist who resides in Beijing. Zeng's art has garnered acclaim for its emotional immediacy, intuitive psychological depth, and meticulously crafted expressionistic technique.
Growing up in Wuhan, Zeng displayed a strong affinity for painting and drawing from an early age, while academic performance was not his forte. His early artistic endeavors consisted of large-scale abstract paintings. Upon relocating to Beijing in the early 1990s, Zeng's art underwent a transformation, serving as a response to what he perceived as a more superficial urban environment. His seminal "Mask" series vividly portrays the tensions between the artist's profound existential concerns and the pretentiousness and affectation of contemporary urban life, depicted with a touch of irony.
Throughout his body of work, Zeng employs expressionistic techniques in a manner that challenges their conventional usage. Rather than merely seeking pure emotional expression, his representations of raw, exposed flesh or disproportionately large hands serve as a deliberate counterpoint to the superficially composed appearances of his subjects. This approach is a nuanced commentary on the performance of emotions as a metaphor for a lost sense of self and hindered self-realization.
Initially, Zeng's art garnered greater popularity among foreign collectors, but Chinese buyers began to take interest in his work in the mid-2000s. He is often regarded as an "icon of the art world" and is frequently hailed as China's preeminent living artist.
Yue Minjun
Yue Minjun (born 1962) is a contemporary Chinese artist who resides in Beijing, China. His most distinctive artistic trademark lies in his oil paintings, which depict himself in a range of scenarios, frozen in uproarious laughter. This signature image has also been reproduced in various forms, including sculpture, watercolors, and prints.
Yue Minjun's art is often associated with the Chinese Cynical Realist art movement that emerged in 1989. However, he himself rejects being categorized under this label, and he maintains an ambivalent attitude toward how people define his work, stating that he "doesn't concern himself about what people call him."
Selena Mattei