ZHANG LINHAI 張林海 (Shanghai, China, b. 1963)

Radiant Sunshine No. 8 - Red Childhood

Executed in 2001

Oil on canvas

Signed in Chinese, titled in Chinese and dated '2001.12.' on the reverse

128 wide, 135cm high

張林海 紅色童年

2001年作

油畫畫布

款識：紅色童年、2001.12、張林海、L.H

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PROVENANCE:

Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong, China;

Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2001;

English Private Collection

來源：中國香港，少勵畫廊;

現藏家於2001年購自上述;

英國私人收藏

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Born in Shanghai in 1963, Zhang Linhai's life was plagued with ill fate from a young age. His parents abandoned him when he was just one year old, leaving him to be adopted as an orphan by a married couple who were both teachers in the village of Shexian in Hebei. At the age of five, he fell seriously ill and was left with a disability in his right foot. Despite this setback, he persevered with his studies. As a young boy he had a keen sense of observation and was fascinated by people and their emotions, providing him with a deep understanding of the world around him.

In 1980, Zhang attended art classes at the Handan Mass Art Museum, where he established a solid foundation in painting skills under the guidance of his teacher. It was there that he met painter Fang Lijun, and together they created a special landscape of Zhang Linhai's mountainous Shexian village. This painting portrayed a surreal context, with bare stone hillsides and stone houses like a barren land during a drought. It symbolized the experiences of his childhood years.

Zhang's artistic creations often feature bald-headed figures, which serve as an incarnation of himself and are an expression of his observations of the real world. In 1986, he enrolled in the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, where he majored in engraving. His works Strange Northern Wilderness and Preaching of Buddha series were selected for the Seventh National Art Exhibition and the National Youth Engravings Exhibition in China in 1989. Preaching of Buddha was awarded a Gold prize and was inducted into the collection of the Shanghai Museum. That same year, he held a solo exhibition at the Beijing Spring and Summer Hanmo Art Gallery.

In 2002, Zhang gained the recognition of Manfred Schoeni, manager of the Schoeni Art Gallery, which led to five solo exhibitions of his work from 2002 through 2010, establishing his reputation within art circles in China and around the world. Painting served as an outlet for the life and dreams of Zhang Linhai, and he dedicated himself to his pursuit of art no matter what life threw at him.

In 2015, he held a solo exhibition at the Singapore Contemporary Art Museum and was invited the following year to exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Jakarta. His unique and creative artistic vocabulary garnered great attention among the public. Despite the challenges he faced throughout his life, Zhang Linhai continued to create art that speaks to the human experience, leaving a lasting impression on viewers around the world.

Zhang Linhai's artworks have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, including in China, Europe, and the United States. He has won numerous awards and accolades for his art, and his works have been acquired by many prestigious private and public collections. In addition to his work as a painter, Zhang Linhai is also a respected art educator, teaching at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. He has been instrumental in shaping the next generation of Chinese artists, inspiring them to explore new techniques and push the boundaries of traditional art forms. Overall, Zhang Linhai is a truly unique and talented artist, whose works continue to captivate and inspire audiences around the world.

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