Hong Chun Zhang – Kansas in Black and White
Jun 12 - Jul 30
Jun 12 - Jul 30
Hong Chun Zhang’s work explores personal identity in relation to broader themes such as gender, culture, the environment, and social justice. Drawing from her experiences in both China and the United States, Zhang’s trademark works are large-scale black and white charcoal drawings of long hair, which she uses to map her identity as a Chinese immigrant, woman, and mother. After moving to Kansas, Zhang’s art integrated her hair imagery with the iconic tornados, prairie grass, and Flint Hills of the Kansas landscape. In her solo show Kansas in Black and White at the Crossroads Hotel gallery, Zhang includes four hanging scrolls painted in Chinese ink on Italian fabric or drawn in charcoal on large format paper. These works depict the beauty of the region while also exploring Zhang’s identity as a Chinese Kansan. The black and white colors not only reflect the visual dynamic of Yin and Yang but also challenge political and social stereotypes of divisions
within Kansas. The format of her hanging scroll accentuates the length and flow of the hair imagery, creating a sense of space and movement within the artwork.
About the Artist
Hong Chun Zhang was born in China during the Cultural Revolution. She pursued her artistic education at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, where she earned her BFA before moving to the United States in 1996. She completed her MFA at the University of California, Davis. Zhang’s work is held in public collections, including the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas and Harvard Art Museums, as well as in private collections worldwide. She has
exhibited at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Contemporary Museum of Art Norway, and the China National Art Museum in Beijing, among others. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including The Dedalus Foundation MFA Fellowship, The Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant, and a Full Scholarship for the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Artist Residency.
Kansas in Black and White is curated by Tiffany Meesha Thompson
Crossroads Hotel gallery and art program is organized by El Dorado and Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.
The Crossroads Hotel gallery is open to all, 24 / 7.