Artist
Huang Zhi
- Country
- :China
- date of birth
- :1964/4/8
Artist Profile
Huang Zhi (Fujii Masakazu / Yousen)
Born in 1964 in Qidong City, Jiangsu Province, China.
Education & Early Career
1984: Graduated from Suzhou Silk Engineering Institute Art Department (now Soochow University School of Fine Arts).
1985: Appointed lecturer at Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.
1986: Designed the official emblem for Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (adopted as school logo).
1988: Won awards at World Youth Fashion Design Competition, invited for academic exchange in Switzerland.
Artistic Journey in Japan
1992: Moved to Japan for graduate studies at Kyoto City University of Arts.
1994: First solo exhibition Huang Zhi Painting Exhibition at Japan Long-Term Credit Bank Gallery.
1995: Professional painter exhibition at Hamakaze Art Co., Ltd.
1996-2012: Created numerous iconic works collected by prestigious institutions:
Wind, Flower, Sun, Moon 8-panel screen (Ryuko Co., Ltd.)
Cloud Dragon large standing screen (Eitoku-ji Temple)
Wild Grapes screen (Shōtengaku Art Museum)
Grapes screen (Golden Pavilion/Kinkaku-ji, UNESCO World Heritage Site)
2012: Became disciple of renowned Japanese scholar Umehara Takeshi, granted pen name "Yousen".
Major Commissions & Exhibitions
2013-2017: Created 80 fusuma-e (sliding door paintings) and screens for Sōkoku-ji Temple.
2018: First public exhibition of his fusuma-e at Sōkoku-ji's Rinkō-in (reported nationwide in Japan).
2019: Demon Women in Crimson Night Procession 12-panel work for Kōdai-ji Temple.
2020: Cloud Dragons and Roaring Tigers fusuma-e for Daizō-in Temple.
2022: Joint exhibition at Kōdai-ji, Entoku-in, and Tenarai Cultural Hall.
2023: Collaborated with architect Kengo Kuma to win gold at Royal Horticultural Society's International Garden Design Exhibition (UK).
2024: Solo exhibition at Shōkado Art Museum and Ikkyu-ji Temple.
Notable Recognition
2005: Became salaried lifetime artist at Japanese traditional art society "Inui-kura".
2007: Designated as "non-sale artist" in Japan due to cultural value.
Works collected by 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan.
Philanthropy
In 2018, his painting was auctioned for 60,000 RMB at a Mercedes-Benz G-Class owners' charity event in Hangzhou, funding rural revitalization projects.
Upcoming Project
April 2025: Dream of the Red Chamber ink-wash painting series to be exhibited at Osaka World Expo's reception hall.
Awards / Exhibition history
1994 Huang Zhi Painting Exhibition (Japan Long-Term Credit Bank Gallery, Tokyo)
1995 Solo Exhibition (Hamakaze Art Co., Ltd., Japan)
2006 Art Auction Debut (Carp Series sold successfully, Japan)
2007 Power of Ink-Wash Group Exhibition (Kyoto City Art Museum)
2018 Special Exhibition of Fusuma-e at Sōkoku-ji Temple (Kyoto Winter Travel Festival, widely covered by Japanese media)
2019 Demon Women in Crimson Night Procession Exhibition (Kōdai-ji Temple, Kyoto)
2020 World of Ink-Wash Artist Fujii Yousen Solo Exhibition (Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Osaka)
2022 Joint Retrospective Early Spring Dragons, Lazy Tigers (Kōdai-ji, Entoku-in & Tenarai Cultural Hall, Kyoto)
2022 Ink Dragons, Colorful Cats & Tigers Solo Exhibition (Ginza Six, Tokyo)
2023 Dragons, Tigers & Auspicious Flora Solo Exhibition (Daimaru Kyoto)
2023 International Garden Design Exhibition (Royal Horticultural Society, UK; collaborative gold-winning installation with Kengo Kuma)
2024 Fujii Yousen’s Artistic Universe (Shōkado Art Museum & Ikkyu-ji Temple, Japan)
