The terms “Chinese art” and “sexually explicit” don’t often go together, but in the case of painter Zhang Xiao Tao, the two elements combine to form works that are at once subtle and explosive….Zhang, who was born in 1970, belongs to a generation of Chinese artists that has been able to exercise comparative freedom of expression but the freedom hasn’t made him complacent. Though his work might at first seem dominated by an effusion of color and pattern, it rapidly becomes clear that its decorative elements are there to enhance the power of the work’s bawdiness and its political subtext. It’s rare to find work that combines conceptual and political features so successfully; the delicate irony of Zhang’s work makes for an impressive debut.

by Sarah Coleman from SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN (August 9th, 2000)

Zhang Xiaotao has said, “trans-medium and trans-discipline are working approaches and experimental attitude. Every worker, not only the artist, should have a basic appeal to go beyond the limitation of a single subject. It is a way to communication and blend.” Of course, as a form of man’s spirit, art, which is experimental in nature, is different from metaphysics and religion. Metaphysics focuses on the conceptual and systematical summary of experiences of human life, and religion focuses on the confident practices of human original faith. Both the establishing and advancing of an artist’s original images should be the results of experiments on his own initiative.

by Zhang Chanping from his “The Self-Deification of Artists” (June 12th, 2010)

Zhang Xiaotao is an art professor and he slips easily into academic lingo, with learned references to semiotics, cultural self-colonisation, cognitive structures and ontological language. He consciously echoes illustrations from classic books and uses the colours of traditional Chinese porcelain and jade, as if to underscore how far Chinese civilization has fallen.

Zhang Xiaotao's at work.

Biography of Zhang Xiaotao

1970　Born in Hechuan, Chongqing, China

1996　Graduated from the Oil Painting Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute

1996-2009　Teacher in the Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu

2010　Teacher in the New Media Department of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute

Now he lives and Works in Beijing and Chongqing

Solo Exhibitions

2011　Sakya , White box museum of art, Beijing，China

2010　Epidemiology，Guangdong Museum of Art，Guangzhou，China

2008　Microscopic Narration ，Iberia Center for Contemporary Art ，Beijing ，China

2007　Rebirth, Arthur M.Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology at Peking University, Beijing, China

Desires without Limits, Dolores de Sierra Galería de Arte, Madrid, Spain

2006　Beautiful Imbroglio, He Xiangning Art Museum Shenzhen, China

2005　Dreamscapes, Foundation 3.14 Bergen, Norway

Dream Factory•Rubbish Heap, Tokyo Gallery, Japan

Dreamscapes, M.K.Ciulionis Nat. Museum of Art, Kaunas, Lithuania

2004　Dream Factory﹒Rubbish Heap, Beijing Tokyo Art Projects, China

2003　Materialistic Decay, Akie Aricchi Art Contemporary Gallery, Paris, France

2002　Desire, Kunst Akademie Muenster, Germany

2001　Flowers in the Dream, Tokyo Gallery, Japan

2000　Fabricated Images, Pacific Bridge Gallery, Oakland, U.S.A.

Group Exhibitions

2011　Expression of Chinese Contemporary Art, Today Art Museum，Beijing，China

Unable Absence: You should not miss it, Wenxuan Art Museum, Chengdu, China

Chengdu Biennale, Chengdu Contemporary Art Museum, Chengdu, China

World Printed Art Exhibition, Haeinsa Temple, Seoul, Korean

Shanshui -Landscape Tradition and Landscape in Chinese Contemporary Art,

Berne Art Museum, Switzerland

Imagine Australia, New Age: Australia-China International New Media Arts Exhibition，

QUT Art Museum，Australia

Games，White Box Museum of Art, Beijing, China

Relationship: New Chinese Construction Art, Museum of Art for the XXI Century, Rome, Italy

2010　”The Material and the Code: Disciplinary Crossings of Cinema Studies and New Media,”

Chicago University, Chicago, USA

Beijing Time, Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, Spain

Reshaping History, China art from 20000 to 2009, China National Convention Center, Beijing, china

Vision2: The Future That Encompasses the past — An Art Exchange Program Between

China and Taiwan, Tina Keng Gallery, Taibei, China

Heart -the forefront of contemporary architecture in China Exhibition,

Vitra Design Museum, Weimar, Germany

“Digital Asia”, Xian Fine art Institute, Xian, China

Arena: A Post Boom Beijing, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery & Arts Centre, Australia

“Flower of Chaos”, Veneto Video art Archive, Verona, Italy

The big bang ，White Rabbit Museum, Sydney, Australia

“Pure Views: China New paintings”, The Louise Blouin Foundation, London，British

Nanjing Biennial, Jiangsu Province New Art Museum, Nanjing, China

2009　Beijing Time, Casa Asia Matadero Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Heart – the forefront of contemporary architecture in China Exhibition,

CIVA, Brussels, Belgium

CIFF,RCM ART MUSEUM, Nanjing, China

Chongqing Youth Art Biennial, Chongqing, China

Ink Not Ink，Drexel University Art Museum，Philadelphia, USA

This Ability- International New Media Art Exhibition & Symposium

CAFA Art Museum, Beijing, China

The first Youth Art Biennial in Chongqing, Chongqing International

Convention and Exhibition Center, Chongqing, China

Sino-German Contemporary Art Exhibition, Wuhan Museum, Wuhan, China

Beyond globalization, Beyond. Art. Space, Beijing,China

Third Asian Youth Animation Competition, International Conference Center

in Guizhou Province, Guiyang, China

The fourth Independent Film Exhibition, Li Xianting Film Fund, Beijing, China

White rabbit collection from Chinese contemporary art，White Rabbit Museum, Sydney, Australia

13th session of the Microwave International New Media Arts Festival, Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Museum, Hong Kong, China

”China’s Digital Art Exhibition”, Kuala Lumpur International Trade Center, Malaysia

On love? On War? Stux Gallery, New York, United States

China: the contemporary rebirth, Palazzo Reale Museum, Milan, Italy

Warm Winter ,Sunny, 008, Jiangfu art district ,Beijing ,china

2008　“55 Days in Valencia”, Valencia Museum of Modern Art, Valencia, Spain

Transgressive Body, TAPE BERLIN, Berlin, Germany

Time-Lag, the New Power of Chinese Contemporary Art,

Magee Art Gallery, Spain

The Revolution Continues, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK

Reflective Asia，3rd Nanjing Triennial Asia, Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, China

The 6th International Ink Painting Biennial of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Museum, Shenzhen, China

People•history—exhibition of studies of Chinese art of the 20th century, China Central Academy of Fine Arts，Beijing, China

RENDEZ – VOUS, Marella Gallery, Beijing, China

SEMIOSIS, China Square, New York, USA.

From Head to Toe, Stux Gallery, New York, USA.

Poetic Realism, A Reinterpretation of Jiangnan, Francisco Tomásy Valiente Art Center, Madrid, Spain

Intimate Trend, Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei, China

Sculpture & Painting in an Era of Digital Images, No.10 Art Institute of Konggang, Chengdu, China

Free Fall, Chen Ling Hui Contemporary Space, Beijing, China

Waiting In the Wings, Beyond Art Space, Beijing, China

Passing through, Art 39th Basel, Beijing art Now gallery, Basel, Switzerland

The Sichuan Movement, the National Museum of Indonesia, Indonesia

Enclaves New Contemporary Paintings of China，Square Gallery of Contemporary Art，Nanjing，China

Paratissima 2008: The ‘Off Event’ of Artissima, San Salvario, Torin, Italy

Black Rock Art Video/New Media Lounge, Art Miami 2008, Art Miami Pavilion, Miami, USA

Lovely blossoms and full moon ，YUZ Museum，Jakarta，Indonesia

The supplemental History, Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China

2007　Starting from Southwest, Guangdong Art Museum, Guangzhou, China

We Go To Shanghai, Beijing Art Now Gallery Shanghai Station, China

Chinese Whisper, Osage Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, China

New Painting from Southwest China, K Gallery, Chengdu, China

From New Figurative Image to New Painting, Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing, China

3 Langue 3 Colors, UM Gallery, Seoul, Korea

3th Guiyang Art Biennale, Guiyang Art Museum, Guizhou, China

The Art of Seduction—From Schiele to Warhol, Minoritenkloster Tulln, Austria

The Alteration of Vision, Tang Contemporary Art, Bangkok Thailand

China Now, Cobra Museum of Modern Art, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

The Seven Plateaus, Ming Art Gallery, Beijing798, China

Wild Beasts, Mook Gallery of Contemporary Art, Beijing, China

Floating, New Generation of Art in China, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea

Transparent Ju，Tibet Art Museum， China

Post Avant-garde—Chinese Contemporary Art Four Directions of the New Era， Atting House， Hong Kong， China

Reconstructed World View, K gallery, Chengdu, China

The New Literati, Osage Gallery, Singapore

Works in Progress, Beijing Tokyo Art Projects, China

Interpret Shenzhen, Shenzhen Art Museum, China

Beyond of Image–China New Painting, Shanghai Art Mmuseum, China

2006　Jiang Hu, Jack Tilton Gallery, New York, U.S.A.

City Skin, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen，China

Internal Injuries, Marella Arte Contemporanea, Beijing, China

Poetic Realism: A Reinterpretation of Jiangnan, RCM Art Museum, Nanjing, China

Enchanting Images of a Changing World, Vienna Essl Museum, Austria

Unclear and Cleamess, Heyri Art Foundation, Korea

The Road Map of Painting 2, Beijing Tokyo Art Projects, China

1st Annals Exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Art, Beijing China Millennium Monument, China

Chanting Our Happy Life, the 2nd China Songzhuang Culture Art Festival, China

Varied Images, Shanghai Art Museum, China

Size Decides Attitude—First 5×7〞Picture-Taking Biennale Pingyao, Pingyao Shanxi, China

Fitment OCAT ，CAT—Contemporary Art Terminal, Shenzhen, China

Beyond Dimension, Square Gallery of Contemporary Art, Nanjing, China

Common Link, Vanessa Art Link, Beijing, China

2005　China Contemporary Painting, Fondazione Cassa Di Risparmioin Bologna, Italy

Live in Chengdu, the Modern Art Museum, Chengdu, China

2th Prague Biennial, Prague, National Gallery Veletrzni Palac, Prague

2th Triennial of Chinese Arts, Nanjing Art Museum, Nanjing, China

Conceptual Art—Exhibit of Contemporary Paintings From China, Tap Seac Gallery, Macao

2th Chengdu Biennial, the Modern Art Museum, Chengdu, China

Transparent Box, Jian Wai SOHO, Beijing, China

The Road Map of Painting, 798 Space, Beijing, China

City Skin, Tap Seac Gallery, Macao

Challenge the Traditional Visual Limits, Shine Art Space, Shanghai, China

Beyond Temporality ，Pingyao International Photography Festival，Pingyao Shanxi，China

Contrasts and Contradictions, Shanghai Contrasts Gallery, China

Touch Without Danger, the 8 Bridge, Shanghai, China

Young Chinese Contemporary Art, Hangar-7, Austria

China Contemporary Painting, APalazzo Bricherasio, Torino, Italy

Conspire, TS1 Contemporary Art Center, 1st Exhibition, Beijing, China

2004　Forbidden Senses?—Sensuality in Contemporary Chinese Art, Espace Culturel Francois Mitterand, Perigueux, France

China Today Painting—Infeld-Haus der Kulturen, Vienna, Austria

China’s Photographic Painting, Art Seasons, Beijing, China

Officina Asia, Galleria d’Arte Modema. Bologna, Italy

Hua Jia Di, Art Seasons, Beijing, China

New Perspectives in Chinese Painting, Marella Arte Contemporanea, Milano, Italy

Artificial Happiness, RMIT Museum Melbourne, Australia

Live in Chengdu, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China

Exhibition of Nominates for Art Documentation ，Art Gallery of Hubei Academy of Art ，Wuhan，China

2003　Reconstruction 798, 798 Factory Beijing, China

Artificial Happiness, Jiang Art Center Beijing, China

3th China National Exhibition of Oil Painting, China National Art Gallery, Beijing, China

Left Hand – Right Hand—A Sino – German Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Beijing 798 Space, China

China’s Photographic Painting, Beijing Normal University, China

Mo ye mo de ，Mo ye mo bu de, Liaogezi, 798 Factory, Beijing, China

Composite Picture of Asian, Hong Kong Art Museum, Hong Kong, China

Image of image, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China

Illusory, Museun63, Hongkong, Guangdong Art Museum, China

Links between Two Points, Tokyo Gallery, Japan

2002　Dream—Chinese contemporary Art, CAC, Manchester, U.K.

Korean Contemporary Art Festival, Seoul Art Center, Korean

Triennial of Chinese Arts, Guangzhou Art Museum, China

Beijing Afloat, Beijing Tokyo Art Projects Beijing, China

2001　Up-Down – Right-Left, the Feminism etc, the Modern Art Museum, Chengdu, China

Reshuffle—Contemporary Chinese Art Show, Shenzhen Sculpture Institute, China

Dream—Chinese Contemporary art, Atlantic’s Gallery, London, U.K.

Mythology of China, Yidian Gallery, Shanghai, China

Youth in transition, He Xiangning Art Museum Shenzhen, China

2000　Time of Reviving—2000’Contemporary Art Exhibition of China, Upriver Gallery, Chengdu, China

2000’Nanjing Contemporary International Art Exhibition, Jiangsu Province Art Museum

of Nanjing, China

Between the Dreams and the Picturesque Meaning—Vienna between 1900 and 2000, Schloss Cappenberg, Deutschland

1999　99’Academic Exhibition Upriver Gallery, Chengdu, China

99’Nanjing Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China

1998　Beauty and Beast, Hanmo Gallery, Beijing, China

1997　Urban Personality and Contemporary Art, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China

1996　Personal Experience Show, Art Museum of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing, China

Awards

2009 Chongqing Youth Art Biennial Prize for outstanding works，Chongqing

2008 2nd Critics Annual, Young Artist of the Year Prize, Beijing

1996 Lu Xun Fine Arts Institute, Mei Yuan Cup, First Prize, Shengyang

Public Collections

Upriver Gallery, Chengdu, China

Shenzhen He Xiangning Art Museum, China

Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China

Guangdong Art Museum, China

Qinghe Art Museum, Nanjing, China

Kunst Akademie Muenster, Germany

Square Gallery of Contemporary Art, Nanjing, China

Thomastik-Infeld Foundation， Vienna， Italy

Heavenly stone Foundation in SanFrancisco, U.S.A

Chinese Contemporary Art Foundation, Belgium

Fondazione Cassa Di Risparmioin Bologna, Italy

Fondazione Golinelli Bologna, Italy

Foundation 3,14 Bergen, Norway

Saatchi gallery, British

Fundacíon de Cultura y Arte (IAC)

Iberia Center for Contemporary Art, China

White Rabbit Museum, Sydney, Australia

YUZ Museum，Jakarta， Indonesia