Zhang Huan is considered one of the most influential contemporary Chinese artists of our time. One of the founders of the influential Beijing East Village in the early 1990s, the artist quickly became known for his often excruciating sitespecific performance pieces. Most recently, Zhang's focus has shifted to include paintings, sculptures and works on paper that incorporate motifs from Chinese folk culture and Buddhism. He lives and works in Shanghai and New York.
Performances and solo exhibitions of Zhang’s work have been held at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery in Toronto (2001), Nikolaj Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center (2003), Asia Society, New York (2007), and Vancouver Art Gallery (2008). His work has also been included in major group exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale (1999), Lyon Biennale (2000), and Whitney Biennial (2002). In 2006, Zhang and Hu Chang Guan founded the Gaoan Foundation.