From March 22 to April 27, Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery is delighted to present the solo exhibition of Beijing-based artist Zhang Gong (b.1959), entitled Beyond Description, Beyond Boundary, which features a total of 24 pieces of acrylic-on-canvas works, including the latest Garden of Eden series, Metropolis series from 2010-2016, and rare early works from the 1990s, providing a comprehensive overview of Zhang Gong's artistic journey spanning over 20 years.
Known for his figurative style that finds references in surrealism and pop culture and his use of symbolic characters from cartoons, Zhang Gong explores the relationship between East and West, art history, popular culture, and the modern social environment in his paintings. Through the playful yet metaphorical imagery, he conveys his deep concerns and reflections on the rapid social transition in the world.
Born in Beijing, China, in 1959, Zhang Gong graduated with an MFA from the Central Academy of Arts and Design in 1993. He is currently a Professor at the Information Department of Art and Design at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
As early as the 1990s, his paintings gained recognition from the Chinese contemporary art world, and were exhibited at "Oil Paintings by Painters of China, Russia and Switzerland" (Hong Kong, 1993), "Contemporary Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition - From Realism to Post-Modernism" (Brussel, Belgium, 1995), "China!" (Bonn, Germany, 1996), and "8+8-1: Selected Paintings by 15 Contemporary Artists", touring exhibition across Europe (1997). Since his first major solo exhibition in Hong Kong in 1994, he has held over 10 solo exhibitions in New York, Tokyo, Beijing, etc. His works are collected by important museums and organizations including Uli Sigg Collection and Asia Society Contemporary Art Collection.
Zhang Gong is also one of the pioneers in making hand-painted animated films in China. From 1999 to 2009, he produced five independent animated films, such as "Ms Red" (2009), "Black Pig, White Pig" (2005), "Trees" (2003), which were highly praised in many international animation festivals in Europe and Asia, such as Annecy International Animated Film Festival, France, Brussels Animation Films Festival, Belgium, London International Animation Festival, and Cinémathèque Québécoise, Montreal. The first animation "Tree" won three awards including the "Outstanding Short Film Award" at the 10th Asian Film and Culture Festival in Lyon, France, 2004.
Beyond Description, Beyond Boundary - Paintings of Zhang Gong
Exhibition period
22 March - 27 April 2019
Location
Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, G/F, 20 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong
