ZHANG ENLI (B. 1965)

“It’s actually a question about how to define portraiture. Since 2000, I painted a lot of objects. To me, I considered these “objects” as portraits. I also painted a lot of empty rooms, which I also deemed as portraits. I believe portraits are not solely about rendering a person; they capture a concept of society. In my painting practice during the last few years, I have tried to employ a completely subconscious method, or an unconscious smearing. It occurred to me that this is a postman, this is a fireman, this is a construction worker, and actually these words are stored inside my mind or my impression. ” - ZHANG ENLI