Painting from famed Bloodline series to be auctioned

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Contemporary Chinese artist Zhang Xiaogang, 58, is well known for his Bloodline series from the mid-1990s.

An oil painting from the series, Bloodline: Big Family No 2, will be auctioned by Council Auctions in Beijing on Dec 6.

The painting is typical of the series in which Zhang used the family photo and identification photo format commonly seen in the 1950s and 1960s.

The figures in his paintings — parents and children — wear gray suits and have identical hair styles, just like in the old photos.

Their faces are expressionless and their eyes look emotionless.

Zhang's works show a critical attitude of the past when collectivism was favored over individuality.

The painting will be part of a special sale of Johnson Chang's collection of 10 contemporary Chinese artworks.

Chang, a Hong Kong-based art curator, gallerist and dealer, introduced contemporary Chinese art to international art circles in the 1990s, and helped launch the careers of many Chinese artists.