Christopher Zhang

Born in Shanghai, China, I acquired a BFA degree in China and a MFA in the United States. In addition to creating subject matter paintings, I specialize in portraiture and landscapes. My versatile styles and skills at still life and in Chinese traditional painting and calligraphy have also won popularity. My primary painting medium is oil. Others are watercolor, acrylic, gouache and Chinese ink. A professional artist, I have been focusing on two types of subject matter paintings:

The Chinese minorities and their indigenous cultures and traditions:

There are more than fifty minorities, most of whom reside in China's wild west: rigid mountains, grassland and desserts. Lack of communications and transportation has largely limited their contact to the highly modernized world and allowed them to conserve their traditions and social customs. In Tibet, Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces, for instance, tribes of Tibetan, Dai, Yi, Bai and Buyi, etc. would often fascinate me with their unique clothes, simple living styles and religious beliefs. These cultural attractions made me pay many visits to these regions. The minorities have become an endless resource for my subject matter paintings. During my visits, I lived with the tribal people, sleeping in their tents, participating in their social activities and religious ceremonies. Doing so, I was able to collect valuable data including many drawings and photos that are a source of inspiration for the creation of large subject matter paintings.

Classical Ballet Dance

Another favorite theme is the Western ballet. Like the Western classical music, ballet has been my dream: a perfect combination of visual and performing arts. From the perspective of visual art, ballet shows perfectly the beauty of female body shape representing the classic aesthetic standard. Therefore, it becomes an attractive theme forever for me. I have visited many ballet schools and professional dance studios. Deeply impressed by the hard work of those ballerinas, I understand the proverb which goes "One-minute success on the platform is a result of ten years of hard work." The images of the young dancers are a symbol of purity and beauty, Painting them has become my strong desire and passion. That is why I call these paintings "the soul of dancers."

http://www.chriszhangstudio.com/