REVIEW: Pace, Zhang XiaoGang

Last week, I went to the PACE gallery for Zhang XiaoGang’s opening. My dad, Ai Xuan, is a painter, whose early work featured his dear friend Zhang XiaoGang. I was very excited to meet XiaoGang and see his most recent work.

The outside of PACE gallery looks plain. The inside, however, is bright, with high ceilings and wonderful works of art. There are in total, eleven oil paintings in the gallery. Each of the eleven pieces were touching and unique in their own intimate imaginative way. Although I was seeing his work for the first time, I immediately identified his style in portraiture and focus on narrative. Zhang XiaoGang tells personal stories from his past in paint; his work is both autobiographical and emotional. One Zhang XiaoGang’s is famous for his bloodline series, a mostly monochromatic exploration of family. I took my knowledge of his earlier artwork and compared it to his new pieces. There seems to be more mix media and collage in his new works. However, I couldn’t help but to notice how across his career, Zhang XiaoGang has dealt with the feeling of loneliness and desperation.

I think these works were very powerful and direct. Zhang XiaoGang's work is successfully communicates his life experiences in unique distinctive style.

Allina Ai, 15, is a sophomore in high school in New York City. She has been exposed to the art world her whole life, and is also an artist and a photographer. You can contract her through instagram @allinaaii or through email, allina1224@gmail.com