Wanxin Zhang

Wanxin Zhang's sculptures have been featured in solo exhibitions at prominent institutions, including the University of Wyoming Art Museum (2006), the Fresno Art Museum in California (2007), the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art in Michigan (2008), the Arizona State University Museum (2010), the Bellevue Arts Museum (2011), and the Peninsula Museum of Art (2015).  

Biography of Wanxin Zhang

Wanxin Zhang, born in ChangChun, China, spent his formative years during the 1970s under Mao's regime. He belonged to the first generation to receive formal art education in college in 1976. His artistic journey began to unfold as he pursued a degree in sculpture, graduating from the LuXun Academy of Fine Art in 1985.

After establishing himself as a sculptor in China, Zhang embarked on a new chapter by emigrating to the United States in 1992. His relocation marked a crucial period of artistic development as he continued his studies at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA. In recognition of his artistic merit, Zhang received the Virginia A. Groot Foundation Grant in 2006 and the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant in 2004, affirming his contributions to the field.

In 2019, the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco honored Zhang with a major mid-career retrospective titled "Wanxin Zhang: The Long Journey." This comprehensive exhibition provided a closer look at the evolution of Zhang's artistry and was accompanied by a monograph that further enriched the understanding of his creative exploration.

In 2021, the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive added Zhang's sculpture "Special Ambassador" (2011) to its permanent collection. Additionally, in the same year, The Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the American Museum of Ceramic Arts acquired Zhang's "Warrior with Colored Face" for their collections.