Chinese portrait today...
1:09 p.m.
25/10/18 - Zhang Xiaogang was born in 1958 in Kunming, the capital of the province of Yunnan, in south China. He is one of the most prominent artist today and he generates thousands of dollars to the Art Market. For example, in 2008, his oil painting “Lineage, Great Family n.3” was sold by Sotheby’s for U$S 6 M, an outstanding sum for a Chinese Contemporary artist. From then on, his artworks have been greatly on demand. Last week, at the FIAC fair in Paris, he was the leader in sales.
Xiaogang formally portrays people of his country. The figures are all dressed as Mao used to do so and their personal features are not taken into consideration here. They all present a similar collective appearance and are shown in a domestic background.
Jump N.1, by Zhang Xiaogang (2018)
Technique: oil on paper with paper / Measures: 194 x 86 cm
Man on a Stool N.3, by Zhang Xiaogang (2018)
Technique: oil on paper with paper / Measures: 194 x 86 cm
Zhang Xiaogang, 2018
Pace Gallery
The Pace Gallery in New York is currently exhibiting his latest artworks and they all present some very interesting new characteristics. He has incorporated the collage, adding old papers to his paintings skills. In comparison to his previous works, in these ones the figures carry ordinary clothing and are placed in positions of certain instability: jumping, standing on stools, squatting, etc. That precarious balance projects a certain isolation and alienation with the surrounding space. The “collective identity” is less clear than in his previous portrays, showing here the personal features of the sitters. The stage light in the faces is a hint that the conflict between private and public (from Mao's regime) is still an influence.
Mirror N.2, by Zhang Xiaogang (2018)
Technique: oil on paper with paper / Measures: 142 x 112 cm
Three Thermos Bottles, by de Zhang Xiaogang (2018)
Technique: oil on paper with paper and collage / Measures: 85 x 130 cm
About Slumber N.4, by Zhang Xiaogang
Technique: oil on paper with newspaper and collage / Measures: 137 x 120 cm
Xiaogang, unlike his fellow contemporary artists, signs his paintings. It's impressive that, after 30 years of career, his creative spirit has not diminished, on the contrary, it has evolved, nourishing his past artworks with the present ones.
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