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Fang Fang - Two Successful Etchings by Zhang Biao

Growing up - Fang Fang, 2007 (Detail)
by Zhang Biao, born 1971
copyright Zhang Biao

Without a doubt, printmaker Zhang Biao is one of the most successful artists in China. He has been recognized at the most important national exhibitions and his work mirrors the latest development of the country. After leaving the traditional Chinese schools, he sought a new approach to Western, especially international art, without entirely giving up traditional values. This development can be seen in the two portraits of the artist's daughter, Fang Fang.

Fang Fang, 2005

Fang Fang, 2005
by Zhang Biao, born 1971
copyright Zhang Biao

One can see in Zhang Biao's first aquatint-etching portrait of his daughter that he was still much more closely connected with the Chinese tradition and style of portraits than his later works. Even though the daughter is presented in a natural and realistic picture, there are still strong ties to traditional Chinese notions of art.

The granularity of the surface is clearly recognizable and its form is reminiscent of a painting. But the portrait is close to the traditional Chinese portrait. The child sits in a stern posture with a serious expression, all of which is also felt in the picture's overall heavy note.

There are also Western qualities to be found in the pictures: most apparent is the expressive light-shadow model and the accurate depiction of crinkles in the clothing. For comparison, think about the stereotypical pictures from the Cultural Revolution. Then one will see and appreciate the distinct individualism that can be found in this pictures.

It does not show some standard girl in a school uniform, indistinct from all other girls. Rather Fang Fang is an individual with her own personal traits, including the large loving eyes. She is not staring. She is beholding her observer with curiosity. This different, although small, has a large effect on the overall tone of the picture.

In terms of composition, the picture passes Chinese tradition by with its concept of space. The sitting girl is realistically captured and skillfully placed in the space with attention to perspective. The spacial details are simply restricted to floor space, a nearly immaterial black wall behind the scene and a perspective chair construction. Nevertheless the artists succeeded in suggesting an accessible room in the picture. The light - coming from multiple sources - is not as natural, but rather a stylistic means to vividly and realistically model the girl.

Growing up - Fang Fang, 2007

Growing up - Fang Fang, 2007
by Zhang Biao, born 1971
copyright Zhang Biao

In the next two years an evident change in Zhang Biao's art took place. He produced a new portrait of his daughter, Fang Fang, also in aquatint-etching in 2007. But stylistically speaking, the two pictures are worlds apart. This second picture more wholly adopts western notions of art.

Firstly, this picture has the finest granularity, nearly reaching the perfection of photo-realism.

Secondly, the lighting - now with only one light source - is clearer and unambiguously places the plastic form in the picture. The shaping and modelling of the figure is harmonious up to the details - from the accurate drawing to the material composition of fabrics in the picture. All this makes for an overall quiet impression in the picture, which is also made possible by the balance of the colors, that are here brighter and more cheerful.

We recognize Fang Fang again by her dreamlike-serious facial expression. Her face is now softer and composed in greater detail. What may be perhaps a bit vexing is the charming femininity of the girl, since she is actually only nine years old. The artist, however, sees the coming of adulthood in his daughter's face and does not hold her back from the observer.

This time, Fang Fang also appears self-confident, although quiet and soft as well. Her melancholy gives the picture a poetic mood. The background is again black. But the folded natural sitting position and the floral blanket make the scene more personal.

In terms of the composition of the subject, Zhang Biao chose a more complex pose this time. In the first picture Fang Fang is simply sitting on a chair with legs barely touching the floor. In this later picture, there is no chair and she is sitting with legs folded on a blanket on the ground. This posture increases the compositional depth of the picture greatly.

Zhang Baio also creates a convincing illusion of a room (although there is no background to support this spacial sense) by shortening the perspective using a deep observation point; that is: the picture is framed around the girl so that we do not see much of her surroundings. But yet she is not up-close in front of us either. Zhang Biao accomplishes this illusion without using a background or other extraneous objects, except for the blanket. The detailed blanket spread on the floor and its creases give us a sense of depth.

The flowers on the blanket refer to Fang Fang's youth. And despite the picture's presentation in the Western style, there remains a certain bond to the Chinese tradition.

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