About — TAN XIAOZHENG
Tan
Xiao
Zheng
TAN XIAOZHENG · 谭小正
Contemporary Artist · Editor

From Chengdu to Beijing, and back to Chengdu.
Twenty years drawing only a black rabbit and a pink pig —
about the distances between people that go unspoken.

Born inChengdu · 1983
Based inChengdu / Beijing
EducationCAFA · 2004
Tan Xiaozheng Portrait
Self · 2024 Chengdu
— 02 / Identity

Four identities,
one thread.

Artist, editor, curator, judge — four facets of the same pursuit: resisting the emotional alienation of contemporary life through storytelling.

A
Artist
Contemporary Artist

Creator of the Black Rabbit & Pink Pig series — surreal visual language exploring loneliness and connection in modern life.

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E
Editor
Editor & Publisher

Founder of Backwall, an independent media platform run for over a decade — connecting creators and readers through editorial craft.

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C
Curator
Independent Curator

Twenty years of Dongkoh, the Zhao 3 Mu 4 online exhibition, the Animamix Art exhibition — bringing meaningful work into physical space.

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J
Judge
Competition Juror

Juror of the Asia IP Contest in Tokyo — championing new-generation IP and originality.

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— 03 / Recognitions

2021 – 2025
Awards · Exhibitions · Curation

2025EXHIBIT · CHENGDU
Exhibit
“Dongmenli” Music & Art Salon Exhibition
Chengdu, China
2024JUDGE · TOKYO
Judge
Asia IP Contest · Juror 2023–2025
Tokyo, Japan
2023EXHIBIT · CHENGDU
Exhibit
iSTART Children’s Art Festival · “iA, Please Answer”
Chengdu, China
2022EXHIBIT · VENICE
Exhibit
The 1st Annual Metaverse Art Exhibition
Venice, Italy
2022EXHIBIT · SYDNEY
Exhibit
“Unstoppable” Chengdu Excellent Animation Overseas Tour
Sydney, Australia
2021AUCTION · ONLINE
Auction
Digital Art Public Welfare Auction · “Please Link Me 2021”
Online
— 04 / My Story

Twenty years,
begun with a black rabbit.

Eight chapters. The journey from an animation student to a contemporary artist.

Chapter 01
2002
Beijing · 北京

Twenty years old, heading north from Chengdu.
The first cohort of CAFA’s animation program — a heady mix of naivety and ambition.
The first time I understood that a brush could be a profession.

Beijing 2002 Beijing campus
Chapter 02
Winter · 2004
Beijing · 北京

Searching for direction in uncertainty.
Built a dynamic online forum entirely on my own —
not knowing that ten years later, this would be called “self-media”.

Forum screenshot Winter 2004
Chapter 03
2009 – 2010
Beijing · 北京

The first offline gathering — twenty people in a room.
Held at year’s end every year after,
kept going until 2019.

First meetup Annual gathering
Chapter 04
2011
Chengdu · 成都

In May, I closed the chapter on Beijing.
Returned to my hometown Chengdu and formally founded a company.
That same year, I mounted an animation exhibition —
finally becoming the media professional I had always wanted to be.

Chengdu 2011 Animation exhibition
Chapter 05
Summer · 2012
Chengdu · 成都

In July, the company landed its first enterprise client —
Beijing Qixinran Film Industry, an invitation to promote
Uncharted cartoon dolls across Chengdu and Chongqing.
From creator, I formally became an operator.

Doll promotion Event promotion
Chapter 06
2017 – 2018
Chengdu · Beijing

Between Chengdu and Beijing,
I organized the first animation project investment roadshow.
The first time the industry heard that “animation, too, could be funded.”

Roadshow event Investment roadshow
Chapter 07
2019
Chengdu · 成都

In partnership with the Chengdu Animation & Game Association,
we hosted a joint conference on the dissemination of anime.
One person walks fast; a group walks far.

Joint conference Conference hall
Chapter 08
2024
Chengdu · 成都

At Chengdu Gazelle Valley Cultural & Creative Park,
a series of events celebrating the 20th anniversary of Dongkoh —
returning to the starting point, and setting out anew.

20th anniversary Gazelle Valley Park
— 05 / Works

A universe of work,
begun with the rabbit & pig.

— Signature

Black Rabbit
& Pink Pig

My signature work. Twenty years in the making.
About the distances between people that go unspoken.

Enter the Series
Black Rabbit & Pink Pig 1 Black Rabbit & Pink Pig 2 Black Rabbit & Pink Pig 3 Black Rabbit & Pink Pig 4