ZHANG Zipiao

Zhang Zipiao’s painting practice revolves around human body, organs, and natural objects. By depicting content inconsistent with traditional society’s social and ethical frameworks, her paintings directly or subtly reveal gender imagery, where the body revels before the demise of illusions. Her works are replete with vitality. The bodily body seems to be an erosive landscape in flux, and natural objects are imbued with restless humanity, projecting a rich and complex character of hypocrisy, sincerity, vulnerability, and strength. By exploring the medium of painting’s physical faculty for universally connecting body and spirit, Zhang Zipiao’s works reflect on and critique reality under the theme of body politics.

Zhang Zipiao, born in Beijing in 1993, studied at the Maryland Institute of Art from 2011-2012, graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015. Her recent solo exhibitions include, Swallow Whole, LGDR, New York, USA (2023); Moonquake, Long Museum, Shanghai, China (2022); Heart of Anchor, Salon 94, New York, USA (2021); Blooming, WHITE SPACE, Beijing, China (2020); Cutthroat Kitchen, Mine Project Gallery, Hong Kong, China (2019); The Ultimate Moist!, WHITE SPACE, Beijing, China (2018); Shallow Painting 101, Star Gallery, Beijing, China (2017), and Sexy Hysteria, Ying Space, Beijing, China (2015). Zhang Zipiao was featured on the list of “30 Under 30 Asia” by Forbes and “2019 Best of the Best” in the annual young artist category by Robb Report in 2019. The artist currently lives and works in Beijing.