Zhao Gang: The History of Painting

Zhao Gang (b. 1961, Beijing) is a key figure in the development of contemporary Chinese art. The youngest member of The Stars, the first Chinese movement of contemporary art, Gan left China in 1983 to study, live and work in Europe and the United States. Returning to China twenty-four years later, in 2007, the Ganges developed a dynamic, provocative drawing practice that freely combines Western and Eastern influences, reflecting on the profound changes affecting his home country. Before the departure of the Ganges, there was no such thing as "Chinese contemporary art." By the time he returned, globalization had discovered not only several styles and forms of art, but also the whole economy of art.

"Zhao Gang: The History of Painting"consists of fourteen paintings that unite the radically multicultural aspects of Ghana's art and identity. The artist developed a darkly ironic, often crude approach to portraying Chinese history. His paintings are centuries-old trails depicting the cultural revolution, images drawn from memories of his childhood, and images of China as an economic and cultural center in the new millennium.