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Co-founder of the artists' group "Beijing East Village", Chinese performance artists Zhang Huan caused a real stir in the 1990s with his disturbing interventionist actions, videos, and installations. Often using his own body, his presentation of themes specific to China, such as doctrinaire family planning, over-population, and mass migration from the country into cities soon attracted the ire of the state guardians of culture. Today, Zhang Huan lives between New York and Shanghai. Elements of his own traditional Chinese culture have since melded with Western ideas, Christian symbols, and Occidental art history. For the last two years, Zhang Huan has focused exclusively on drawings. In his large-format "Images of Imagination and Desire" (ink and wood-cuts featuring traces of ash and soy sauce) people and above all animals enter into a significant and often bizarre game with their own, forever metaphorical identity - and our imagination.
This book presents a comprehensive catalog of drawings by the contemporary Chinese artist Zhang Huan, focusing on his work from 1951 to 1955. The volume explores Zhang Huan's artistic evolution, particularly his recent exclusive focus on large-format drawings that incorporate elements of ink, wood-cuts, ash, and soy sauce. These works often feature human figures and animals engaged in metaphorical explorations of identity, blending traditional Chinese culture with Western influences and Christian symbolism. The book documents his transition from performance art to his current drawing practice, reflecting his life and work between New York and Shanghai.
This catalog serves as a significant document of Zhang Huan's artistic output, particularly his recent focus on drawing. The works presented are noted for their imaginative and symbolic content, exploring themes of identity through a blend of cultural influences. The book's focus on his large-format drawings, incorporating unique materials, highlights a distinct phase in his career. It offers a valuable resource for understanding the evolution of a prominent contemporary artist.
Page Count:
110
Publication Date:
2007-07-25
Publisher:
Schirmer/Mosel
ISBN-10:
3829603088
ISBN-13:
9783829603089
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