0249 Hong Zhang

Long ago in China, in much of Asia, in fact, art was not a commodity but a pure expression of the heart. Largely done by the literati, male scholars, it took the form of poetry, calligraphy, brush painting. Finished works were hung on walls and admirers stamped their approval right on the canvas in red. In fact, there is a Chinese expression shi yanzhi which means A poem expresses what is intently on the mind. Chinese artists continue to do this through their art. One of these is Hong Zhang, whose show Haywire, opens at the Lawrence Arts Center on January 20th. Born in China and now a Lawrencian, her art draws on the literati tradition, In fact, in Hong’s art, the Middle Kingdom meets the Midwest. #ceas #china #hacker