New Age: Classic Guo Chao (新的来临: 经典国潮) is the first solo exhibition of the acclaimed artist Zhang Hong Jun, aka Adam Chang at the new AC Art Space. AC Art space is near Chang’s studio in Haberfield, located in the Inner West of Sydney Harbour. The space was completed in 2020 during the pandemic and will finally open to the public in January 2022. It strives to provide an art scene for institutions, collectors and art lovers like you. In this solo exhibition New Age: Classic Guo Chao, Chang will take this opportunity to show the public his latest oil paintings, including his newly released series of 3 limited edition screen prints Shan Shui with Panda (山水与熊猫).
Chang has been creating new artworks in his studio throughout the pandemic, which has done nothing to dampen his creative enthusiasm.With Chang’s recent focus in painting Shan Shui (山水)and Pandas, the concept of Classic Guo Chao (经典国潮) is Chang’s new thinking about the current international ecological environment and Chao Liu art（潮流艺术）. He integrates Chinese humanistic spirit and popular elements into his new painting practice. Every Shan Shui he paints comes from his own meditations, depicting and brewing a world of paradise. Every Panda reflects characteristics of innocence, honesty and kindness. Their popularity and affinity brings joy and hope to us as mankind. The highly sought-after Shan Shui with Panda series has become the collective Portrait of Chinese people in the new era.
Chang’s paintings are always known as timeless and classic. Portrait paintings usually best show the skill & expressive of an artist. Chang’s portrait of John Coetzee, a Nobel laureate in literature, won the Australian National Painting Award in 2011. Ten years later, Chang painted a portrait of John Coetzee again. The language of the painting reaches new heights for Chang and is expected to be included in the Public Gallery of Australia.
As an artist with international influence and with the fastest rising collection value in the art market, Chang emerged in the Chinese art world as early as the 1980s. In 1985, with the support from social circles in Shanghai, Chang became one of the earliest artists to hold solo exhibitions after the implementation of reform and opening up in China. In 1989, with the excellent performance in the 7th National Art Exhibition, Chang was approved to join the Shanghai Artists Association and became the youngest member at that time. From 1989 to1992, Chang pursued further studies in the Faculty of Oil Painting at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts. Chang moved to Australia in 1997. In 2006, the Australian Arts Council elected Chang as the official painter of the Federal Government. In 2011, he won the Australian National Painting Award for inclusion in the official History of Australian art. In 2015, he participated in the Florence Biennale, Italy. In recent years, his works have been exhibited in some landmark places in Europe, America and China, including The Saatchi Gallery in London and Shanghai Tower. Currently, several works of Chang have been collected by public art institutions, such as the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, Tweed Regional Gallery, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation and many others.
