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A painter of abstract art who has not sold a painting has no
regrets about walking away from his highly paid job in advertising,
writes Wang Jie with the Shanghai Daily.
Which job is more lucrative: a creative director of a top-flight
advertising agency or an artist secluded in a rented studio?
The answer is easy.
However, which job is more attractive? Zhang Hong knows the
answer to that too.
Putting aside his job, all his clients, the pitches and the
piles of files, Zhang has returned to the "innocence of art."
For six years Zhang has hidden himself away in a rented studio
in a quiet old warehouse on Zhaohua Road in the heart of the
city.
The music of Mozart floats around his 100-square-meter workspace
which contains a long antique table dotted with fresh flower
petals. A huge book shelf reveals the owner's wide interest in fine
art, architecture, philosophy, music and photography.
Obviously this is a man of taste - in art and life.
Wearing a black T-shirt and cotton trousers, Zhang has a
surprising child-like innocence in his eyes, like that of a little
boy who is curious about everything.
"The most correct choice for me was to quit that good job in
advertising when I was 36," says Zhang. "Suddenly my outlook on
life and art expanded. I should say it was a terrific
experience."
Zhang is a typical Sagittarius - free and optimistic.
"I am a person full of inspirations," he says. "I know I have a
smart brain and an extraordinary memory."
Born in 1963 in Shanghai, Zhang belongs to the first generation
of "golden collars" - those young people who are paid a lot and
work under intense pressure.
Zhang decided to quit his high-paid job after six years of
working "night and day."
"My wife was pregnant at that time," he recalls. "I gave myself
a vacation to greet the coming of my daughter."
And that vacation turned out to be a long vacation because Zhang
embarked on his journey to art.
Painting, reading and music soothes him and his little daughter
has made him view the world from a different angle.
"This is a lifestyle that suits me perfectly," he says.
Zhang's abstract canvases are filled with layers of similar hues
which gives them a unique and detailed texture, reminiscent of the
brushstrokes on traditional ink-wash paintings.
But oil is not his only medium.
He also practices
sketches.??????? In the eyes of
many, sketch pieces belong to the tedious homework given to art
academy students. But Zhang's come alive and one huge sketch fuses
sundry curves and powerful lines which overlap one another, like a
gust of wind blowing out from the paper.
Zhang says his images are his interpretation of the
universe.
Oddly enough, Zhang has never had a solo-exhibition or sold any
of his paintings.
"Someone once invited me and some clients are interested in
buying my works but I don't want my art to leave me so soon," he
says. "They are my mind's eye."
He is now working on a new series of paintings but won't talk
about the project.
"It will be a stunning piece and a climax of my career as an
artist," he says. "Not until the day they are finished will I feel
able to 'come out from my shelter'."
Zhang has few artist friends but a wide social network.
"Maybe due to my personal character, it's easy for me to make
friends," he explains. "But when it comes to art, I don't want any
direct comments or disturbances."
Zhang says artists need "handouts" from society.
"I will be a big parasite in the future," he says jokingly.
"Believe it or not, a fortune-teller predicted it for me years
ago."
(Shanghai Daily October 14, 2005)
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