Basic Humanity as the Starting Point：Zhang's Artistic Logic

Written by: Du Xiyun

Impossible 75x45x42 Inches,2009   

Wanxin Zhang, who went to study and live in the United States in 1992, has become a prominent ceramics artist in the American art scene in recent years. Through his manipulation of form, construction of insights, and reflection of personal life experiences, Zhang’sceramic works exhibit a vivid experience.

The scene of Zhang’s solo exhibition “Fahrenheit” at Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco in November 2017

Zhang’s works, at first glance, are visually pleasing and rich. It’s a feeling not dissimilar to viewing the perfectly sculpted bodies made during Renaissance. The pieces contradict the nature of ceramic – hard and brittle – and instead appear soft and flowing. Zhang received strict training in realism at the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts and is able to model figures precisely and rigorously. However, his pieces are just the opposite – relaxed enough in shape and form that some pieces might even cause a feeling of discomfort. He deliberately retains and highlights his own handprints when molding, adding further to the emotions and humanity of the pieces. 

Special Ambassador  87x26x28 Inches, 2011

Ceramics are native to China and are historically glazed carefully and with minute detail; again, Zhang breaks the tradition and splatters and smears on the three-dimensional shapes, using the glaze to convey impulse, using it to paint like an abstract expressionist painter. The color and flow marks after firing become important factors of the form, as do the kneading marks that build the surface texture of each piece. The final works, co-constructed by styling and glaze, have strong psychological meaning, emotional fluctuations, and defections like real flesh – pores, spots, and scars.

The scene of Zhang’s solo exhibition “Fahrenheit” at Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco in November 2017

In Zhang’s works, appropriation is a common theme, especially of the classic sculptures that are known for their solemnity: Venus, Statue of Liberty, Terracotta Warriors, Buddha statues, and more. These pieces are clear symbols of the cultural order to which they belong. Zhangpurposefully either directly adapts their most recognizable features or makes further changes. With the Goddess of Victory growing multiple pairs of breasts, or the Terracotta warriors growing heads of pandas, Zhang’s works conceptualize his point of view – his works are not only a game, but an emotional catharsis and a strong statement. People who have a deeper understanding of the differences and the commonalities of the Chinese and Western civilizations are more likely to be touched by Zhang’s works. And audiences who pay close attention to the current international issues, dominated by Sino-US relations, can more clearly perceive the meaning of the works.

Wanderer  54x20x16 Inches, 2011

At this time, Zhang’s artistic characteristics can be roughly clarified as: in the framework of calm and clear big ideas, open-form experiments of formalism are carried out and the irrational instincts are released. The tension between the two is delicate, deep, and reflect the artist’s literacy. His abstract thoughts on many problems have been produced in the form of inexplicable emotions expressed by a physical experience. Zhang’s technique of shaping and painting is quite relaxed; this mentality frees the release of creativity, and easily draws on emotions from the bottom of the heart. 

Melting landscape II   26x28x16 Inches, 2014

Through various details, his sculptures exude a sense of humor, banter, spoof. What’s more interesting is that these casual feelings people can’t help but naturally express are actually solidified through a very complicated process of kneading, glazing and firing of the pieces. Many pieces have to be fired multiple times, until they look “most appropriate” with no set guidelines. With that in mind, one can see how often the artist whose works appear more inconspicuous is actually more persevering as an artist.

Selfie  22x12x10 Inches,  2017

Taking a step back, the footprint ofZhang’s life speaks for itself: born in 1961, Zhang graduated from the Sculpture Department of the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in his early years. The sculpture department of this school is still second to none in China for its training of realistic sculpting. He further experienced the artistic concept of“socialist realism” as it migrated from Yan’an, the red revolutionary holy land, to the Northeast industrial cities and to his school. Zhang began exploring metal materials after graduating in 1985, one of the first artists inChina to experiment with that medium. 

 Thousand-hand lady  2017

After studying in the United States in1992, his experience pushed him to new heights, and he went on to teach at the Department of Art Practice at the University of California, Berkeley, as well as the San Francisco Art Institute, and other avant-garde art schools. During his artistic career in California, he came into contact with the American clay revolution, the Bay Area figurative wave, and the FUNK art movement from the1950s. Since then, he has focused on ceramic sculptures and has emerged as an artist to watch in the new century. Like how it’s difficult for people to walk a mile in another’s shoes, it’s hard for onlookers to appreciate the pains and troubles that Zhang has experienced in his multiple and dramatic metamorphoses.

Zhang’s studio

People are containers of their culture, instincts, life experiences, and knowledge, with each mix affecting their perceptions, emotions, thinking, and actions. Zhang interprets this relationship through his works of art. China, from the 1960s to the 1990s, have experienced dramatic changes that attracted worldwide attention. The roller-coaster of history allowed its passengers to constantly experience their own limits in the basics of humanity to culture to social order. In the early1990s, the United States led the economic globalization after the end of theCold War and spawned the “multi-cultural” craze that led to the West’s intense curiosity about the socialist camp. 

The refluent tide   32x24x24 Inches, 2014

As a stylish artist, Zhang accepted the“socialist realism” art education in China, but experienced an infinite, open, and experimental art education in the US. After having to unload, reload, upgrade, and replace many rounds of multicultural software, Zhang has accumulated perspectives between memory and truth, between China and the US. He stripped various cultural elements from their original context, and went on to juxtapose, mix, mutate, and transform. After manually kneading and high-temp firing, his pieces no doubt takes into account his personal values.

Boxer  30x30x16 Inches, 2015

Judging from his many works, including the“Pit No. 5” installation, Zhang frequently comments on the societies and cultures of the US and China, and overlaps his heavy cultural memories fromChina with his lighter feelings of American life. The images of “LaughingBuddha”, “Teapot without Handle”, “Special Ambassador”, and “Story from UncleTom” carry strong emotion in a combination of variations, while clarifying his recognition of universal values. Based on the maintenance and expansion of individualism, these values are the cornerstones of contemporary civilization. They may appear to be developed mainly in Europe and America, but are actually just human experiences, shared in their deeply rooted humanity. 

 Shifting Capital    Size variable,  2008

Zhang is not just a Chinese artist who became popular during the “multicultural” atmosphere in the1990s; after the “multiculturalism” ebb, there was actually more nationalism. Although Zhang uses various elements in different contexts, he primarily uses his values to derive and interpret their logical relationships, to prove that these relationships work in the social scene without bringing any form of nationalism. Over the years, he has been constantly introducing new work related to the unpredictable happenings of society today, because he is constantly observing, deducing, and interpreting, in an artistic way, the way these current issues affect humans.

Romance of the Three  Kingdoms  84x27x42 Inches, 2017

Zhang’s solo exhibition “Fahrenheit” at Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco in November 2017 is a great example: the temperature represented by Fahrenheit has a close relationship with clay, and “Fahrenheit” in its Chinese word context is proof of his identity. He cares about basic humanity with sincerity, above just a superficial appeal. Just possessing skills without care for universal values and humanity cannot produce the vitality and depth that Zhang’s art demonstrates. Therefore, Zhang’sartistic concept is clear – the culture and order close to universal humanity is the abstract idea hidden in his works. In the years he’s been making his works, burning in thousands of degrees, the temperature has never wavered and will never change.

September 18, 2018  in Shanghai