Zhang Yunyao

Born in Shanghai in 1985, Zhang Yunyao studied in the oil painting department and graduated from Shanghai Normal University's Academy of Fine Arts in 2007. Fascinated by biblical, classical and mythological subjects, he draws inspiration from sculptures throughout history to create his own interpretation. The artist works with unusual media such as felt, but also cardboard, to inscribe his work in a certain materiality, which is anchored by the use of graphite and pastel. Like a double-exposure photograph, he superimposes his figures one on top of the other, whose transparency and assembly create a certain lightness of form. His meticulous, delicately misty touch plunges the viewer into an enigmatic universe, straddling the present and the past. Recognized worldwide, his work has been exhibited in major museums such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (Shanghai, 2013) and CAFA Art Museum (Beijing, 2015), as well as in solo shows at Galerie Perrotin (Hong Kong, 2017), Galerie Marguo (Paris, 2020), Asia Now Paris Asian Art Fair (Paris, 2020) and Watou Arts Festival (Belgium, 2021).