My Visit to Zhang Huan's Studio in Shanghai, China,
Oct 29, 2008 at 6:59 PM 
Zhang Huan is a world reknown artist whose work can be seen at Pace galleries in NYC, and the new Pace galleries in Beijing. My friend Marc Glimcher hooked me up to visit Zhang in his studio in Shanghai, when I was was there last week. I was blown away. He is like the Warhol of Shanghai. He has 100 artists and craftsmen working for him, very similar to the factory model that both Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst have made popular.
He creates these giant foam and cowhide sculptures. They were sick. The scale was gigantic. Other worldly.
He is known for doing "ash paintings". He goes to temples and takes the ash from incensce. He seperates the ash to 25 to 50 different shades...and he actually paints with the ash. You have to see them in person to appreciatte the ambition.
He had me sit with his staff, and talk everything from videogaming to my history growing up and starting the business. It was a crazy cool experience.
Reader Comments (1)
This is inspiring me. I love the idea of painting with the ashes. I love the idea of incorporating a process into the art that has profound meaning. You see a painting with a skull but you can't help think of all the time it took for that medium to get there.
Brilliant stuff. Thanks for sharing your travels with us. I'm getting a lot out these postings.