Born in 1981, Zhang Peng is a talented young artist who graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Having been awarded many prizes for his paintings, his work, be it his oils or photography take young, vulnerable women and girls as its central theme. There is a profound sense of sorrow and empathy that is evoked in his haunting images of little girls sitting timidly on richly-coloured settees. Their indescribable expressions of hurt and vulnerability leave the viewer unsettled, disconcerted and heavy hearted.
Zhang Peng is considered to be one of China’s most talented, interesting and promising young artists. It is still early in his career, yet he has already received attention from important collectors and media throughout the world. Images of his work have appeared in Newsweek, The New York Times online and have graced the covers of numerous art magazines.
Zang Peng uses shocking images, literally opening up an entirely new can of worms. His work is alluring, just as it is repelling. He uses a global vocabularly, with a local focus.
Dolls and Bright colors, dramatic in theatrical postures, living in a different world.
Big sad eyes, tears, pain, that what appeal to the audience.
What happened to them? What brought sadness into their life? What coasted pain? What those souls are hiding inside?
Those girls have make up on, jewels, dressed up nicely, but it does not matter. Slim and slender bodies, they are beautiful, but its miserable.
Zhang Peng is different from other artists, he is "one of a kind".
Young girls is the central theme sited on richly colored settees, cages, or bloody bathtubs. Expressions of pain of their faces leave the viewer disconcerted and heavy hearted.
Artist says, he spends most of his time outside of his studio... Walking around, watching people, discovering....
During his studies, Zhang Peng focused more on painting. Later he turned to photography.
Zhang Peng’s photographs are very unique and somehow alive. The bright red he usually uses in his backgrounds comes as a strong contrast to the doll’s skin and clothes, and then there are all the small details that make the photograph. Picture which has huge story of million words.
His favorite color is red:
"Red symbolizes either China itself or blood.
As the national economy grows, each individual within it becomes relatively small. Red implies the meaning of this duality."
