Zhang Huan. In the ashes of history

Exhibition September 9 − November 8, 2020
The State Hermitage Holds an ExhibitionZhang Huan. In the ashes of history "... This is the first personal exhibition in Russia of one of the most famous contemporary Chinese artists.

The exposition, presented in the Nicholas Hall of the Winter Palace, consists of several series of works of art, executed in different techniques, and includes more than thirty works, many of which were created specifically for this exhibition under the impression of visiting St. Petersburg. A separate part of the exhibition is two works from the "Love" series, created by the artist in isolation, as a concentrated personal experience of the situation in China and in the world, a way to preserve the memory of the victims of the pandemic.

Zhang Huan has gained immense popularity after a number of his high-profile performances in China and the United States. In the mid-2000s, the artist began to create paintings using a unique technique: most of his large-scale works were painted with ashes from incense from Buddhist temples. One of these works - a forty-meter group portrait of the Communist Party of the PRC - will occupy almost the entire wall of the Nikolaev Hall, the largest ceremonial hall of the Winter Palace. The exhibition also showcases works made in another unusual technique: mixing photography and woodcarving. Wooden reliefs are made, among other things, based on paintings from the Hermitage collection. Of particular interest is the new section of the Red Series, which marked a change in Zhang Huang's creative course and his return to painting techniques. The first works of this series are united under the title "Reincarnation", consisting of eight specially selected works.

Prepared from the materials of the official website of the museumThe State Hermitage Museum.