Zhang Xiaogang

Zhang Xiaogang, born in 1958 in Kunming, Yunnan, is one of China’s most influential contemporary symbolist-surrealist painters. A graduate of Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts (1982), he rose to prominence in the 1990s with his iconic Bloodline: The Big Family series—muted, stylized portraits reminiscent of vintage 1950s–60s family photographs, characterized by expressionless faces, large dark eyes, and subtle emotional resonance.Zhang uses a restrained grayscale palette punctuated with red lines or colored accents—symbolizing blood ties, cultural memory, and psychological inheritance in post‑Revolution China. His work also explores themes of the Cultural Revolution, individual identity, and collective trauma, often evoking a dreamlike, haunting atmosphere. Internationally exhibited since the mid‑1990s, Zhang’s art continues to resonate globally and commands high acclaim in museums and collections worldwide.