Zhang Xiaoli

1989

Guiyang Guizhou China

Zhang Xiaoli was born in 1989 in Guizhou, China. She received the Ms. Chu Lam Yiu Scholarship and moved to Hong Kong in 2008 to pursue higher education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she received her BA with first honours in Fine Arts and Biology in 2014. During the graduation show, she received Y.S Hui Fine Arts Award and Wucius Wong Creative Ink Painting Award. She gained Master degree at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2021, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the same institution. Zhang Xiaoli received the Liu Kuo-Sung Ink Art Award in 2023.

In her iconic "Boxed Landscape”, Zhang replaced elements in Chinese landscape painting – trees, mountains, rocks and figures – with depictions of Lego bricks, as a contemporary way to create dialogues with tradition. She presented surreal landscapes inside small containers, using the traditional style of gongbi ink painting to depict memories and experiences. It is inspired by the concept of the Cabinets of Curiosities (Wunderkammer, 15-18th century), incorporating astronomy, physics, physiology, molecular biology, and even mathematical concepts. The small, boxed objects allow a window into the artist's imagination while expressing wisdom, poetry, and beauty. For Zhang, these are the landscapes of the contemporary world.

Zhang has participated in nearly 30 exhibitions around the world including New York, London, Paris, Brussels, Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Taipei, and Hong Kong. She had her major solo exhibition at Zhejiang Art Museum, Hangzhou, China in 2023 and group exhibitions include Youth Will: Beijing Youth Art Biennale, Today Art Museum, Beijing, 2016; Fresh Trend, Hong Kong City Hall, 2014. Alisan has been representing Zhang's works since 2017. We featured her paintings in Desiring: Post 97 Hong Kong Ink Art, 2017; women artists exhibition HOPE, 2018; Uniquely Hong Kong, 2020; Chinese Surrealism, French May Arts Festival Associated Project, and POP ROCK, both in 2021; group exhibition at Cromwell Place, London, 2022; Art 021 Shanghai, 2018 and 2019; Art Basel Hong Kong, 2019 and 2023.

Her work is collected by Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA.

BIOGRAPHY
1989 Born Guiyang, Guizhou, China

2008 Moved to Hong Kong and studied at Chinese University of Hong Kong

2010 Exchange student at the University of California at Berkeley, USA

2014 Bachelor, First Honour, double major in Fine Arts and Biology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

2021 Master degree, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China

2023 Gave an artist talk Ink Alchemy at Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

Present Studying for a Ph.D., Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
Lives and works in Niagara, Canada

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023

Zhang Xiaoli: Spectacular at the Tannhauser Gate, Zhejiang Art Museum, Hangzhou, China

2020

Li Galaxy, Tong Gallery, Beijing, China

2019

Curio Boxes: Zhang Xiaoli’s Portable Landscapes, Daguan Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025

Tradition Transformed, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

2024

Merveilleux Jardin de Jiangnan, Travelling Exhibition, Tongji University, Confucius Institute, University of Florence, Florence, Italy; Carré à la Farine, Place de Versailles, Versailles, France; Germany

2023

Ink Asia & Fine Art Asia Special Project: The Aesthetics of Wandering, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
CUHK 60th Anniversary Alumni Arts Exhibition: Where Great Minds Shine, Arts Pavilion, Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong
Art Basel Hong Kong, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
Ink Alchemy: Beyond Tradition, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
NFT Paris, Grand Palais, Paris, France

2022

Contemporary Chinese Art, Asian Art in London, Alisan Fine Arts, Cromwell Place, London, UK

2021

2020

As Time Goes by... New Stories from the Garden, Suzhou Design Week, The Surging Wave Pavillion & Ke Yuan, Suzhou, China
Uniquely Hong Kong: A Celebration in Hong Kong Art, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
Contemporary Forms of Ink Painting, Alisan Fine Arts, Art Basel Online Viewing Rooms, Hong Kong

2019

2018

Art 021 Shanghai Contemporary Art Fair 2018, Alisan Fine Arts, Shanghai Exhibition Centre, Shanghai, China
HOPE A charity exhibition celebrating the works of outstanding contemporary Chinese women artists, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
Affordable Art Fair: Young Talented Program 2018, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong

2017

Desiring: Post 97 Hong Kong Ink Art, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
Ink Asia, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
Contemporary Neoclassic: Hong Kong Ink Art, Daguan Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan

2016

Beijing Youth Art Biennial, Today Art Museum, Beijing, China
Affordable Art Fair, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, USA

2015

2+2, EC Gallery, Hong Kong
OFF COURSE: Brussels Art Fair, Brussels, Belgium
Senses: Exhibition of Works by Young Emerging Hong Kong Artists, University Museum & Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

2014

Fresh Trend 2014, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
Fine Art Asia, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
Graduation Show of Fine Arts Department, Art Museum of Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Lone, Hui's Gallery, Hong Kong

2013

Our 1989, Taipei National University of Arts, Taipei, Taiwan

SELECTED AWARDS
2023   Liu Kuo-Sung Ink Art Award, Liu Kuo-sung Foundation, Taiwan
2014   Y.S. Hui Fine Arts Award, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Wucius Wong Creative Ink Painting Award, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2013   Convocation Outstanding Creativity Student Award 2012/2013, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2008   Ms. Chu Lam Yiu Scholarship

SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA