Overview

The process of making felt painting is my response to memory and its waning, which proves the unique temporal nature of painting itself.


— Zhang Yunyao

Zhang Yunyao was born in Shanghai, China in 1985 and graduated from the Department of Oil Paintings from Academy of Fine Arts at Shanghai Normal University in 2007.

 

Through the use of non-traditional painting media and surfaces, Zhang Yunyao explores the temporal nature of painting, as well as the instability and intersections of historical and personal memory. Taking as his subjects biblical, classical, and mythological scenes immortalized by the master sculptors and painters of antiquity, Zhang renders his tableaux with hallucinatory precision, using notoriously unpredictable materials such as graphite and pastel on felt, which itself is unabsorbtive and prone to pilling. The artist’s slow and meticulous process of drafting and rubbing result in a hazy, textured surface with an abundance of depth and tone. His choice to often superimpose images, creating the illusion of a photographic double exposure, contributes to the rich materiality of his paintings that seem to make tangible the sensation of time itself. 

 

His works have been widely exhibited in various institutions such as Watou Arts Festival (Belgium, 2021), Musée Fenaille (Rodez, 2021) within an exhibition co-curated and co-organized with Musée du Louvre, chi K11 Art Museum (Shanghai, 2016), CAFA Art Museum (Beijing, 2015), Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (Shanghai, 2013), etc. His solo exhibitions include 'Zhang Yunyao'  at Galerie Marguo ( Paris, 2020), 'Zhang Yunyao: Drawing Room' Asia Now Paris Asian Art Fair (Paris, 2020), 'Palace of Extasy' at Qiao Space (Shanghai, 2019), 'Skin Gesture Body' at Don Gallery (Shanghai, 2017), 'Nec Spe, Nec Metu' at Perrotin Gallery (Hong Kong, 2017), 'After Evensong' at Don Gallery (Shanghai, 2015), 'Touch Point' 01100001 Gallery (Beijing, 2013), 'Mirage' at Don Gallery (Shanghai, 2013), 'Paradbox ' at Don Gallery (Shanghai, 2011).

Biography

Born in Shanghai, China in 1985 

Lives and works in Shanghai, China and Paris, France

 

Education

 

2011

Graduated from Department of Painting, The Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China

 

Solo Exhibitions

 

2020 Galerie Marguo, ‘Zhang Yunyao’, Paris, France
 

Asia Now, ‘Drawing Room’, Paris, France

2019 Qiao Space, ‘Palace of Extasy’, Shanghai, China
2017 Don Gallery, ‘Skin Gesture Body’, Shanghai, China
 

Perrotin, ‘NEC SPE, NEC METU’, Hong Kong, China

2015 Don Gallery, ‘After Evensong’, Shanghai, China
2013 Don Gallery, ‘After Evensong’, Shanghai, China
  01100001 Gallery, ‘Touch Point’, Beijing, China
 

Don Gallery, ‘MIRAGE’, Shanghai, China

 

Art Stage, ‘My Dark Life—A Story of a King and His Clown’, Singapore 

2011 Don Gallery, ‘Paradbox—A Solo Show by Zhang Yunyao’, Shanghai, China 

 

Group Exhibitions

 

2021 La Galerie Louis Vuitton, 'Louis 200 : The Exhibition', Paris, France
 

Zeno X Gallery, 'OFF ROAD II', Antwerp, Belgium

  Watou Arts Festival, Poperinge, Belguim
  Musée Fenaille, 'IDOLES. L’art des Cyclades et de l’Anatolie à l’Âge de bronze', Rodez, France
  Galerie Marguo, ‘Presentation of Marguo Artists’, Paris, France
2020 Summer Exhibition 2020, Royal Academy of Arts, London, United Kingdom
2019 Don Gallery, ‘Epithet Portrayed’, Shanghai, China
 

Don Gallery, ‘Swallow it! Summer X Bacchanal’, Shanghai, China

2018 Don Gallery, ‘Steadfastly Raise the Standards in Nonproductive Construction’, Shanghai, China
2017 Don Gallery, ‘Shanghai Dandy’, Shanghai, China
2016 chi K11 art museum, ‘We’, Shanghai, China
2015

CAFA, ‘OBSERVER—CREATOR, The Reality Representation of Chinese Young Art’, The Second ‘CAFAM Future’ Exhibition, Beijing, China 

 

Don Gallery, ‘Moments’, Shanghai, China

2014 Shanghai Gallery of Art, ‘Present—Ing Recital Louder than Paint’, Shanghai, China
2013 Don Gallery, ‘Abuse’, Shanghai, China
 

Museum of Contemporary Art, ‘Existence – +Follow 2013’, Shanghai, China

 

Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts, ‘Polyphony—21 Kinds of State’, Nanjing, China

2012 Don Gallery, ‘Outdated’, Shanghai, China
 

V Art Center, ‘The Halo Effect’, Shanghai, China

2011 Don Gallery, ‘We Are Here’, Shanghai, China
 

Qinghe Contemporary Art Museum, ‘Daily’, Nanjing, China

  Shanghai Exhibition Center, ‘2011 SH Contemporary’, Shanghai, China
 

Don Gallery, ‘If...’, Shanghai, China

  Museum of Contemporary Art, ‘+Follow’, Shanghai, China
 

Don Gallery, ‘Xinzhuang—the Stories of Five Youths’, Shanghai, China

  Wandesford Quay Gallery, ‘Contemporary China’, Cork, Ireland
2010 Don Gallery, ‘Chorus—4 Artists’ Show’, Shanghai, China
2009 Nothingart, ‘12... 4 Berliner Treffen 8 Chinesen’, Berlin, Germany
2008 2008 Summer Auction of Chinese Works of Art, Eastlink Gallery, Shanghai, China
2007

2007 Autumn Auction of Chinese Works of Art, Eastlink Gallery, Shanghai, China

  Xiangjiang Gallery, ‘Homeworld’, Shanghai, China
2006 Wu Xing Gallery, ‘Me – Us’ Painting Exhibition, Shanghai, China

 

Residency

 

2013 Glenfiddich Artists in Residence Programme
Works
  • A Circle
    ZHANG Yunyao
    A Circle, 2020
    Graphite on felt
    37.5 x 51 cm
    39.7 x 52.7 cm (framed)
  • A figure
    ZHANG Yunyao
    A figure, 2020
    Color pencil on paper
    19 x 12.5 cm
    40 x 30 cm (framed)
  • A figure
    ZHANG Yunyao
    A figure, 2020
    Color pencil on paper
    14 x 9.5 cm
    40 x 30 cm (framed)
  • A Pair of Hollow
    ZHANG Yunyao
    A Pair of Hollow, 2020
    Graphite on felt
    37.5 x 51 cm
    39.7 x 52.7 cm (framed)
  • A Pill
    ZHANG Yunyao
    A Pill, 2020
    Graphite on felt
    37.5 x 51 cm
    39.7 x 52.7 cm (framed)
  • Emotion Study (quadriptych)
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Emotion Study (quadriptych), 2020
    Graphite on felt
    40 x 30 cm
    42 x 31.5 cm (framed)
  • Emotion Study (quadriptych)
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Emotion Study (quadriptych), 2020
    Graphite on felt
    40 x 30 cm
    42 x 31.5 cm (framed)
  • Emotion Study (quadriptych)
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Emotion Study (quadriptych), 2020
    Graphite on felt
    40 x 30 cm
    42 x 31.5 cm (framed)
  • Emotion Study (quadriptych)
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Emotion Study (quadriptych), 2020
    Graphite on felt
    40 x 30 cm
    42 x 31.5 cm (framed)
  • Emotion Study II
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Emotion Study II, 2020
    Graphite on felt
    39 x 56.5 cm
  • Emotion Study II
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Emotion Study II, 2020
    Graphite on felt
    39 x 56.5 cm
  • Emotion Study II
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Emotion Study II, 2020
    Graphite on felt
    39 x 56.5 cm
  • Emotion Study II
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Emotion Study II, 2020
    Graphite on felt
    39 x 56.5 cm
  • Floating II
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Floating II, 2020
    Pastel on felt
    217 x 200.5 cm
  • Portrait
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Portrait, 2020
    Graphite on felt
    62 x 70 cm
  • Relations
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Relations, 2020
    Graphite and pastel on felt
    42 x 60 cm
  • Study for feet
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Study for feet, 2020
    Pencil on paper
    22 x 35 cm
  • Study in Figures
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Study in Figures, 2020
    Graphite on felt
    183.5 x 143 cm
  • Floating
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Floating, 2019
    Graphite and pastel on felt
    215 x 200 cm
  • Portrait
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Portrait, 2019
    Graphite on felt
    83.6 x 59.1 cm (framed)
  • Reincarnation
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Reincarnation, 2019
    Graphite on felt
    167 x 250 cm
  • Study in Figures
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Study in Figures, 2019
    Graphite on felt
    305 x 230 cm
  • Study in Figures (ALACRITAS)
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Study in Figures (ALACRITAS), 2019
    Graphite and pastel on felt
    250 x 190 cm
  • Study in Figures (AVDATIA)
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Study in Figures (AVDATIA) , 2019
    Graphite, acrylic and pastel on felt
    183.5 x 143 cm
  • Study in Figures (PROVIDENTIA)
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Study in Figures (PROVIDENTIA), 2019
    Graphite and pastel on felt
    250 x 190 cm
  • Study in Figures (VIRILITAS)
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Study in Figures (VIRILITAS), 2019
    Graphite and pastel on felt
    250 x 190 cm
  • Three Figures
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Three Figures, 2019
    Graphite on felt
    265 x 260 cm
  • Release
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Release, 2018
    Graphite on felt
    215 x 200 cm
  • Study in Figures
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Study in Figures, 2018
    Graphite and pastel on felt
    265 x 380 cm
  • Standing Figure
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Standing Figure, 2017
    Graphite on felt
    220 x 163 cm
  • You
    ZHANG Yunyao
    You, 2017
    Graphite on felt
    215 x 200 cm
  • Emotion
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Emotion, 2016
    Graphite on felt
    63 x 48 cm
  • Fate
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Fate, 2016
    Pastel on felt
    163 x 200 cm
  • Trace
    ZHANG Yunyao
    Trace, 2016
    Graphite on felt
    267 x 200 cm
  • A Pair of Sag
    ZHANG Yunyao
    A Pair of Sag, 2014
    Charcoal on felt
    31.5 x 39.5 cm
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