HONG HAO
b. 1965, ChinaHong Hao is a major figure in the development of Chinese contemporary art, renowned for his inventive use of a range of mediums, including photography, collage, and printmaking to explore the paradoxes of consumer culture and the shifting realities of modern China.
Hong Hao’s acclaimed work is held in the numerous important institutional collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, M+ in Hong Kong, and The British Museum, and he has been exhibited at leading institutions worldwide.
Early Years
Hong Hao was born in Beijing in 1965. He graduated from the Printmaking Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, in 1989. Hong Hao continues to live and work in Beijing, where the dramatic social and economic changes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries have deeply influenced his artistic vision.
Hong Hao Artworks
Hong Hao’s contemporary art practice is characterised by meticulous detail, conceptual depth, and a sharp, often satirical, wit. He is best known for using photography, printmaking, and collage to examine themes of globalisation, consumerism, and personal identity through the lens of everyday objects and cartographic imagery.
Early Map Works and ‘Selected Scriptures’ (1992—2000)
Hong Hao’s early works reveal a fascination with cartography, most notably in the ‘Selected Scriptures’ series (1992—2000), a body of 37 prints that imitate pages from traditional woodblock-printed books. These works subvert conventional world maps by distorting geography and overlaying them with political, economic, and philosophical commentary, such as renaming countries after multinational corporations or redistributing land according to military and economic power. Through these interventions, Hong Hao challenges viewers to reconsider how information, power, and meaning are constructed and disseminated.
‘My Things’ Series (2001—present)
In 2001, Hong Hao began the ‘My Things’ series, a monumental project in which he scanned and catalogued thousands of personal and consumer objects accumulated over years. These digital collages transform everyday items—receipts, banknotes, food, containers—into vibrant, densely packed compositions, questioning the value and meaning of material possessions in contemporary society. The process of flattening and rearranging these objects upends perceived hierarchies of value and reflects on the rise of consumerism in China.
Recent Developments
Since 2013, Hong Hao has expanded his painting practice with series such as ‘Reciprocating’, ‘Reflection’, and ‘Everchanging Appearance’, where the outlines of objects are rendered as abstract shapes, further distancing the viewer from their original context. In the ‘The Realm of Matters’ series, he inscribes fragments of Song Dynasty porcelain with text and arranges them in patterns that both evoke and disrupt linguistic comprehension.
Select Awards and Accolades
Hong Hao received the Chinese Contemporary Art Awards in 2000 and 2006, and was named Martell Artists of the Year in 2013. In 2013, he was shortlisted for the Prix Pictet, the global award for photography and sustainability.
Exhibitions
Hong Hao has been the subject of both solo exhibitions and group exhibitions at important galleries and institutions. Below is a selection of important exhibitions:
Solo Exhibitions
- Hong Hao: Light, Beijing Commune, Beijing, 2024—25
- Unparalleled Collection Series Vol.2: Hong Hao, Wonespace, Shenzhen, 2023
- Hong Hao: New Works, Pace Gallery, Hong Kong, 2022
- Hong Hao: The Realm of Matters, SALON TEN WF CENTRAL, Beijing, 2021
- Hong Hao: My Things, Museum of Modern Art, Bologna, 2015
- Hong Hao: AS IT IS, Beijing Commune, 2011—12, 2024
Group Exhibitions
- Another Avant-Garde: Photography 1970—2000, West Bund Museum, Shanghai, 2025
- A Window Suddenly Opens: 30 Years of Experimental Photography in China, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C., 2022
- Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 2018
- Prix Pictet 2014 — Consumption, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2014
- Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2013
- The 5th Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Australia, 2006
- Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Art Museum, 2000
Hong Hao’s works are held in major public collections, including The Museum of Modern Art (New York), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), The British Museum (London), Victoria and Albert Museum (London), M+ (Hong Kong), and the Queensland Art Gallery (Australia).
Website and Instagram
Hong Hao’s website can be found at here, and his Instagram at here.
More Reading
Hong Hao’s practice has been featured in leading magazines, including ArtAsiaPacific.
Hong Hao FAQs
Where can I see Hong Hao’s artworks?
Hong Hao’s artworks are held in public collections at The Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum in London, M+ in Hong Kong, and the Queensland Art Gallery in Australia.
What is Hong Hao best known for?
Hong Hao is best known for the ‘Selected Scriptures’ map series and the ‘My Things’ project, both of which use photography, collage, and printmaking to explore themes of consumerism, identity, and the changing nature of contemporary China.
What techniques does Hong Hao use in his art?
Hong Hao employs a range of techniques, including woodblock printing, digital scanning, collage, painting, and mixed media. His innovative use of digital technology in the ‘My Things’ series is particularly noted for its meticulous detail and conceptual complexity.
What themes are central to Hong Hao’s artworks?
Central themes in Hong Hao’s artworks include globalisation, the accumulation of material goods, the construction of identity, and the manipulation of information and perception.
How has Hong Hao influenced contemporary art?
Hong Hao has played a significant role in shaping contemporary Chinese art, both through his independent practice and as a founding member of the Polit-Sheer-Form Office collective. His works challenge viewers to reconsider the everyday and the structures that shape modern society.
Are there any random and interesting facts about Hong Hao?
An interesting fact about Hong Hao is that he scanned and catalogued thousands of personal objects over more than a decade for his ‘My Things’ series, turning the act of archiving into a monumental artwork.
How do you pronounce Hong Hao’s name?
Hong Hao is pronounced “Hong How”, with the first syllable rhyming with ‘song’ and the second with ‘now’.
Ocula | 2025
Explore and Follow Artists Shaping Contemporary Art
A respected voice in contemporary art discourse.
Focusing on ambitious storytelling and insightful art-world commentary. Ocula Magazine publishes in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and ideas driving the global art world.
Learn more about Ocula Magazine
Showcasing the best of the art world.
Ocula partners with galleries from around the world to highlight their artists, artworks and exhibitions. Gallery membership is by application and invitation, with each member vetted by an independent panel.
Learn more about Ocula Membership
Specialises in the sale of major artworks.
Led by a team with deep ties to the world’s leading auction houses, galleries and collectors. Ocula’s advisory team offers bespoke services to high-net-worth clients from around the world who are looking to acquire the best of contemporary and modern art.
Learn more about our team and services