Born in China, Mingjun Luo studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of the Hunan Normal University between 1979 and 1983. As an assistant teacher of drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts, she was awarded the Hunan Province Prize in 1984. In 1985, she founded the “0 Art Group”, a collective of avant-garde artists, with her fellow students. She arrived in Switzerland in 1987 and settled in Bienne. 

From then on, she regularly exhibited around the world and was awarded the Ernst Anderfurhen Prize in 1994 and 1996, the Frauenkunstpreis Berne in 2008 and the Here and Elsewhere grant from the Canton of Berne in 2017. The personal exhibitions that marked her career took place in 2006 at the Creek Art Center in Shanghai, in 2008 at the Centre Pasquart in Bienne and in 2016 at the Musée d’art de Pully. 

She has had numerous group exhibitions, including The Way of Writing (Musée des beaux-arts de Correr, Venise 2024), Chinese Contemporary Art – The Sigg Collection (Musée d’art Songeun, Séoul, Corée du Sud, 2023), Through the Tundra, Deserts and Glaciers – The 5th Global Chinese Art Exhibition (Musée d’art He Xiangning, Shenzhen, 2022), Sur papier at the Musée d’art et d’histoire de Neuchâtel (2021), Chinese Contempo-rary Art in Hubei & Hunan 1985-2009 at the Guangdong Museum of Fine Arts in China (2009) and The Yi School: Thirty Years of Chinese Abstract Art at CaixaForum in Madrid (2008).

Over the year, the exploration of the concepts of identity and memory has always been present in Luo Mingjun’s works. In the interstices between Chinese and Western cultures, face of the changes in ideology and cultural identity brought by the two opposing cultural environments, she has created for herself a middle ground for easy dialogue and communication, a “third space“ where different cultural factors can be fused, filtered, and transformed into a personal style of work.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your artistic journey?

I am Luo Mingjun, born in 1963 in Nanchong, Sichuan Province, and raised in Changde, Hunan. I’ve been passionate about painting since childhood. It was my middle school art teacher who first introduced me to the idea that “artist” could be a profession, and from that moment on, I dreamed of becoming one.

In 1977, I began studying under Mr. Yu Shaode, a stage designer at the Changde Peking Opera Troupe, in preparation for applying to the Fine Arts Department of Hunan Normal University. This marked the true beginning of my journey into art. I was admitted in 1979 and graduated in 1983, after which I stayed on to teach at the university for four years.

In 1985, together with several like-minded artists, I co-founded the “Hunan 0 Art Group” and participated in the influential “85 New Wave” movement in contemporary Chinese art. In 1986, we undertook a three-month art expedition along the route of the Red Army’s Long March. That journey profoundly changed the course of my life. At the end of 1987, I moved to Switzerland, where I have lived ever since.

In 1988, I became a mother. The challenges of adapting to a foreign country—language barriers and the pressure of daily life—led me to temporarily pause my artistic creation. However, during this “blank period,” I read extensively and visited numerous classical and contemporary art exhibitions. I also began experimenting with ink painting. In 1992, I held my first solo exhibition at the Kunsthalle Centre PasquArt in Switzerland, officially launching my professional career as a full-time artist.

How do you stay inspired and motivated to create new work?

My inspiration comes from daily life. Rather than being someone struck by sudden flashes of insight, I am more inclined toward slow accumulation and reflection. I build my creative context through walking, observing, reading, and thinking—these activities provide fertile ground for inspiration.

I can’t imagine a world without art. For me, art is not just a tool—it is a way of life, an essential part of my being. Despite the real-life challenges of time and finances, I still work in my studio every day. Exhibitions are certainly a driving force, but what matters most is the calm and focus I find in the act of creating—that’s something I can’t live without.

How has your artistic style evolved over time?

I was initially trained in traditional academic realism. After graduation, I began to question that system. Moving to Switzerland gave me the space to explore those questions through practice.

I turned my attention back to traditional Chinese culture, especially calligraphy, and started working with ink. This choice was partly practical—ink was easier to work with while caring for a child—and partly an exploration of my cultural identity.

During this period, I gradually abandoned traditional oil painting techniques and developed works like the Break the chinese character, Brake up, Little Things, Copying the Dao De Jing, and Go & Back, using ink and installation. These works became more abstract and minimal in form—freer and more aligned with my reflections on identity, language, and culture at the time.

In 2006, a serendipitous opportunity brought me back to China to create and exhibit art. This opportunity allowed me to reexamine my past from the perspective of someone situated at the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures. The youthful days I once had— Fading yet not completely vanished memories.  This return to oil painting was influenced by ink art and shaped by the shifts in my state of mind brought about by life and the passage of time and the works naturally reflect my personal temperament and style.

What has been the most rewarding part of being an artist for you?

I can’t speak for other artists—some may feel a sense of social responsibility or a desire to influence the world. For me, art is first and foremost a form of healing.

It soothes the emotions I can’t express in everyday life and allows me to share inexpressible experiences with my audience. That sharing may become a form of resonance, a spiritual exchange between artist and viewer, and a deeply human experience.

Are there new themes, materials, or forms you’re currently interested in exploring?

I’ve always been a curious person. When life changes, I naturally follow those changes into new creative territory. New themes often bring new materials, and those materials may inspire new forms.

For instance, in my upcoming exhibition, poetry might be the starting point of creation. Poetry itself could lead to explorations in sound installation or other new mediums. I believe the path of art shouldn’t be restricted—it should grow organically with our perception and the passage of time.

What advice would you give to emerging artists trying to establish themselves?

Today’s young artists have much broader horizons and more access to knowledge than we did in the past. They’re more adept at self-exploration.

If I had to give advice, it would be: stay open-minded, keep learning, and don’t box yourself in too early with fixed styles or identities. There’s no set formula for the path of art. It’s about how you engage with life, how you dialogue with your inner self, and how you communicate with the world.

Text & photo courtesy of Mingjun Luo

Website: http://www.luomingjun.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luo_mingjun/