About He Zhen
Lived 1541 – 1607 (aged 65–66). He Zhen was a Chinese artist.
He Zhen, also known as Zhou Cheng, Chang Qing, Xue Yu (1541 – 1606) was a Chinese artist during the Ming dynasty, who specialised in carving personal seals. Along with his teacher Wen Peng, he was one of the first seal-engravers to use soapstone as a medium for his work.
He Zhen was from Wuyuan County, but spent much of his time in Nanjing. He had a wide-ranging influence, and founded the Huizhou (Xingyuang) or Wan (Anhui) school of seal-carving.
He's work aspired to an antique, ancient appearance, and he was known to chip or otherwise artificially weather his seals to create the impression of age. He created this effect by exploiting natural fracture lines in the stone, or by emphasising the knife-marks made whilst incising the inscription.
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Important facts
People in He Zhen's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was He Zhen?
Chinese artist
When was He Zhen born?
He Zhen was born in 1541.
When did He Zhen die?
He Zhen died in 1607.
What was He Zhen's occupation?
He Zhen was an artist.
What nationality was He Zhen?
He Zhen was Chinese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). He Zhen. https://biography.guide/he-zhen/
MLA: "He Zhen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/he-zhen/.
Chicago: "He Zhen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/he-zhen/.
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