ZHANG DALI (B. 1963)

An iconic maverick known for his fearless political graffiti that permeated the walls of Beijing, Zhang Dali is a renowned contemporary Chinese artist who effectively used street art to confront the public about the turbulent socio political matters of his time. Born in Harbin in 1963, Zhang received his training at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing but was exiled from China upon graduation. Thus, he spent the majority of the 1990s in Italy, where he was initially inspired to adopt graffiti art as his signature style. Once he returned to Beijing, Zhang embarked on his series Demolition and Dialogue, a variation of graffiti self-portraits that not only symbolized the rapid socio political changes but also conveyed the voices of the new generation. The repetition of his signature faceless forms effectively evoke the anonymity and uncertainty of the fate of individuals in the modernized society of urban China.