About Zhang Xiaogang - A Chinese Artist

Zhang Xiaogang was born on 1958 in Kunming,this heritage he has developed an iconography and
Yunnan province,CHINA. Zhang Xiaogang'sidentified a special sensibility that in many ways
paintings engage with the notion of identity withindefine this era. Because Zhang's footing is within
the Chinese culture of collectivism. Basing his workthe academy system, therefore the system may
around the concept of 'family' -immediate,also claim credit for his success.
extended, and societal - Zhang's portraits depictZhang has achieved this by bringing together a
an endless genealogy of imagined forebears andnumber of polarities. Zhang uses a technique
progenitors, each unnervingly similar andbased on western academic realism to suggest
distinguished by minute difference. Often paintedunreality and illusion; he portrays a private insular
in black and white, Zhang's portraits translate theworld by means of a public artistic language,
language of photography into paint. Drawing fromhinting at unspoken public trauma through
the generic quality of formal photo studio posesindividuals' secrets. Over twenty years, Zhang has
and greyscale palette, Zhang's figures aremanaged to resolve his own stylistic passage
nameless and timeless: a series of individualfrom an early expressionistic period to a form of
histories represented within the strict confines ofclassicism.This solution makes a cultural connection
formula.with the pioneering era when western painting
Zhang Xiaogang's work is usually based on itstechnique was first successfully borrowed by
iconography and style, which reveal a strongpopular art to portray the figure, when it was
consistency whether the works are studied fromadapted to mass culture in the spirit of popular
the angle of artistic intention or personal history. Iffolk taste. It is therefore close to traditional
we look at the "phenomenon" of Zhang Xiaogang,Chinese taste, hence successful in making claims
and consider elements of his art that have helpedto be a new paradigm.
to establish his position in the art world, we canSelected Exhibitions:-
look away from Zhang's psychological and2000 • Max Protetch Gallery, New York
personal history, to focus on his contributions to1999 • Galerie de France, Paris
artistic language in contemporary Chinese art.1989 • Sichuan Academy of Fine
Zhang Xiaogang's art has become a canon ofArts,Chongqing
contemporary Chinese oil painting, and its meritsConclusions: Zhang Xiaogang's work is usually
depend very much on the fact that he has foundbased on its iconography and style, which reveal a
new solutions to harnessing western classicalstrong consistency whether the works are
academic technique (a standard in Chinesestudied from the angle of artistic intention or
academies) to turn it into an indigenous artisticpersonal history. He had focused on his
language. Zhang Xiaogang is very much a productcontributions to artistic language in contemporary
of the Chinese art academy system, and out ofChinese art.