KAI MAO
Visual Artist | Los Angeles, California, USA
Portfolio: http://kaimaoart.com
Email: maokai1974@gmail.com
ARTIST PROFILE
Los Angeles-based visual artist working across oil painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Mao’s practice examines the shifting boundaries between human identity, animality, and the natural world. He has presented solo exhibitions in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and China, and has received recognition from the American Art Awards, the A’ Design Award, the FAC International Art Exhibition, and the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in China.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 — Shenzhen, China — Mystic Realm of Space-Time, solo exhibition
2020 — Guangzhou, China — Animal Farm, solo exhibition
2019 — Pomona, California, USA — Superior Animals, solo exhibition
2017 — Venice, Italy — Superior Animals, parallel solo exhibition presented at the Armenian Pavilion during the 2017 Venice Biennale
2016 — Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom — Superior Animals, solo exhibition presented by Breeze Creatives
SELECTED AWARDS & HONORS
2025 — Xishuangbanna Cultural & Creative Art Festival, China — Gold Award
2024 — A’ Design Award, Italy — Sculpture
2019 — American Art Awards — Award in painting
2019 — 13th National Exhibition of Fine Arts in China — Selected work, sculpture
2017 — American Art Awards — Six awards across painting and sculpture; juried by 25 U.S. galleries and museums
2017 — FAC International Art Exhibition, Padua, Italy — Asian Art Award
2016 — Artand Artist of the Year, Beijing, China — Gold Award, Realism
2014 — Portrait Now! Urban Life in Contemporary China, Beijing, China — Honor Award
EDUCATION & ADVANCED STUDY
2013 — Chinese Academy of Oil Painting, Beijing, China — Advanced studies program
1996 — Changsha Railway University, China — Three-Year Junior College Diploma, Decorative Art & Design
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 — Los Angeles, California, USA — SOLILOQUY, The Scholart Selection
2021 — Shenzhen, China — Shenzhen International Art Fair
2020 — Shanghai, China — Art Shanghai Fair
2020 — United States — NOAPS Spring International Online Exhibition
2019 — Hong Kong — Hong Kong City Art Fair
2018 — California, USA — Irvine All Media Exhibition
2017 — Paris, France — Art Capital, Grand Palais
2016 — United States — NOAPS Fall International Online Exhibition
2016 — Guangzhou, China — 21st Guangzhou International Art Fair
2016 — Vienna, Austria — Chinese Dream Contemporary Art Exhibition
2015 — Changsha, China — 7th Hunan Oil Painting Exhibition
2015 — Guangzhou, China — Guangzhou Young Artists Exhibition
2014 — Changsha, China — 12th National Exhibition of Fine Arts, Hunan Section
2014 — Beijing, China — HIHEY ART T3 Festival
2013 — Changsha, China — Paint Heart · Paint Colors, Hunan Oil Painting Society eleven-artist exhibition
2013 — Changsha, China — 1st Hunan Human Figure Art Oil Painting Exhibition
2012 — Guangzhou, China — Guangdong Provincial Exhibition of Young Artists
2011 — National Art Museum of China, Beijing — 1st Art Phoenix Contemporary Young Artists Oil Painting Exhibition
SELECTED PROJECTS & COLLABORATIONS
2023 — Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China — Collaboration with the local government on city IP identity and visual symbols; created and produced the short film Discovering the Purest Colors of Xishuangbanna
2018 — GXG fashion collaboration — Developed a series of apparel products based on original artwork
2017 — Poly ARTEL Hotel — Artist collaboration and advertising campaign
SELECTED COLLECTIONS & MARKET RECORD
Works are held by corporate, institutional, and private collections including Huawei, Poly Group, and Wanda Group, as well as collectors and art institutions in China, the United Kingdom, Italy, and the United States. Selected works have also appeared in auctions organized by Beijing Poly and Beijing Hanhai.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
· Member, American Professional Artists Union
· Member, American Oil Painting & Acrylic Painting Association
· Member, Los Angeles Art Association
· Member, Hunan Oil Painting Society