Zhang Hui
Hui Zhang
MASSIMODECARLO is delighted to present the latest solo exhibition of Chinese artist Zhang Hui at our Beijing space. Focusing on the figure as a central motif, Zhang assembles a world where people, objects, reality, and imagination jostle for attention, all filtered through his distinctive and ever-curious lens.
Zhang’s career unfolds in three acts: in his early work, he focused on exploring and deconstructing the figure; he then expanded his perspective to examine the relationships between people, objects, and space. Currently, he explores the nuanced gaps within human relationships, revealing subtle tensions through fleeting visual images. Zhang Hui captures sensual, everyday moments, personally reinterpreting each one in his art. As he puts it, “What I see arises from incidental feelings in a stable environment, and what I know is rooted in varied fields. When ‘what I see, where I am, and what I know’ collide, new themes emerge.” Zhang’s world is not one of social symbols or burdens but a playground for something altogether fresher, maybe even unsettling.
In this latest series, Zhang's work toys with realism, blending it with surreal irony. In Untitled (Waiting), gorillas and humans wait together in a queue that feels oddly monumental; Untitled (Auction) fragments and reconfigures the familiar through warped reflections; and Untitled (Another Message) deftly blurs the lines between identity and status. Zhang’s paintings probe at what’s real, what’s fabricated, and the shifting grounds between, challenging expression and poking at our own expectations of it.
Art has always been shaped by limited understanding, which solidifies perspectives and, ironically, frees up new forms of connection across time. Zhang Hui’s work winks at this resonance. In Untitled (Little Girl), we glimpse Edvard Munch’s spectral silhouette, while in Untitled (Group 2), we see a nod to Henry Moore’s reclining sculptures. It’s an unlikely but meaningful exchange - a meeting of minds across time and space.
In this exhibition, Zhang Hui presents an incisive exploration of painting, addressing the complex landscape of contemporary society with a distinct personal language. His work reflects on human nature, identity, and emotion, serving as both a distillation of his personal experiences and a mirror of broader social contexts, sparking universal emotional resonance.
The Artist
Zhang Hui (b.1967 in Heilongjiang) currently lives and works in Beijing, China.
Zhang Hui graduated from the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing in 1991 and was active in the post-sensory art group from the late 1990s to the early 21st century. He is an artist with significant influence in the contemporary Chinese art world. Zhang Hui's artistic career began with the exploration of performance and installation art, developing his unique sense of creativity through different forms. In 2004, he founded the "Abnormal Phenomena" group to further promote his artistic practice. During this stage, his works often prompt the audience to deeply contemplate the interactions between reality and subconscious, normal and abnormal.
Over time, Zhang Hui's artistic practice gradually shifted towards painting. In 2006, his solo exhibition "In These Parts" marked a shift in his creative focus. From then on, he began to focus on painting practices, continuing to explore the subtle relationships between reality and imagination, truth and fiction through painting.
Zhang Hui's works present a non-narrative world with a unique perspective and exquisite techniques. He is good at capturing emotional moments from daily life and reproducing each moment in a personalized way in his creations. He constantly challenges the boundaries of expression and explores new perspectives and ways through in-depth thinking on the relationship between people and things. His works are not only a condensed personal experience, but also a projection of a broader social context, triggering psychological resonance among the audience.
Recent solo exhibitions include: Zhang Hui: On Painting, Star Art Museum, Shanghai (2023); Middle East Railway: Zhang Hui, Long March Space, Beijing (2022); Zhang Hui, 2018, Long March Space, Beijing (2018); Zhang Hui, Long March Space, Beijing (2016); Ganchang, Long March Space, Beijing (2014); Open space, Long March Space, Beijing (2012), etc.