ZHANG XIAOGANG (Chinese, B. 1958)

In the late 1980s, Zhang Xiaogang experienced a period of creative frustration when he was developing his artistic path. He attempted to integrate collage, oil painting, and various other media in order to precisely express his emotions. A few works on paper with surrealistic imageries were painted during this period, and this includes the Lost Dream series.

Lost Dream Series: the Sleepless Martyr (Lot 126) was completed in Zhang Xiaogang's studio in Chongqing in 1989. At the time, his life was filled with poems, music, and philosophy. The artist arranged an altar in this painting. A severed head was offered – it seems to allude to the spirit of respect and admiration in Lu Xun's poem, "I offer my blood to the ancestors of the great Chinese race". The head on the ritual platter is red as burning coal, but the expression on the face is tranquil and serene, as if it is cautioning the viewers, "Martyrdom is my fate". The artist is willing to sacrifice his life in the name of art, like an ascetic who leads a life of austerity and spiritual torment. In terms of setting, composition, arrangement of details, and the overall atmosphere, this work demonstrates the masterful technique and the meticulous deliberation of the artist. This painting is a confessional epic poem by the then thirty-one years old Zhang Xiaogang.