The China Project

201 Zhang XiAOgang: Shadows in the Soul functional. The depictions of ink bottles, notebooks and desks are a type of ‘consolidation’ of history and memory. These objects bear the weight of the desire to communicate, to exchange and to express ideas through the reading and writing of diaries, books and letters. Such objects have special significance in a society that denies the ‘self’ and discourages private communications. In present-day China, these objects and activities continue to be very precious, moving and human. In his photographic works, such as the ‘Describe’ series, Zhang converts the act of creation into a process of leaving behind a trace. These works create a world in which connections between ‘individuals’ are made apparent, and the act of writing on an image instantly becomes the display of such a connection. The artist reconnects writing and form, self and other, text and image, and through such connections the practice of ‘reading’ traditional Chinese ink paintings seems to be reactivated. Zhang’s deeply personal, intimate expressions convey a human warmth not seen in contemporary Chinese art for a long time. Through his portrayal of families, and the landscapes surrounding them, the artist presents a unique modern culture, linking the individual intimately to history, memory and the ideology of the past. Zhang Xiaogang’s art allows us the opportunity to establish a new level of understanding of what underlies contemporary Chinese life and how the past influences the present. Translated from the Chinese by Claire Chak, January 2009. endnotes 1 The Down to the Countryside Movement was a policy implemented in China during the Cultural Revolution era of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Urban youths, often high school graduates, were sent into rural areas for ‘re-education’, to learn the skills of farmers and workers rather than attend university. 2 ‘Dialogue between Zhang Xiaogang and Ouyang Jianghe (9 April 2008)’, Today Literary Magazine , no.82, autumn 2008, p.296. above In-Out series no.7 2006 Oil on canvas / 150 x 200cm / Droga 8 Collection (The Collection of David and Marisa Droga) opposite In-Out series no.10 2006 Oil on canvas / 200 x 150cm / Private collection