Wanxin Zhang
Biography
In 1992, after Wanxin Zhang established his art career as a sculptor in China, he relocated to San Francisco with his family. There, he received his Masters in Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University in 1996. Now, as a studio sculptor and educator, Zhang is a first-place recipient of the Virginia A. Groot Foundation Grant in 2006, and the Joan Mitchell Grant in 2004. His sculptures have been shown in many galleries and museums around the nation, including solo museum shows at the University of Wyoming Art Museum, the Fresno Art Museum in California, and the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art in Michigan. His works have been selected to be included in Confrontational Ceramics by Judith Schwartz and in a major editorial by the magazine American Ceramics. Zhang’s collectors are located both nationally and internationally.
Education
1992-1996 Academy of Art University , MFA. Sculpture, San Francisco, California
1980-1985 Luxun Academy of Fine Art, BA. Sculpture, ShengYang City, LiaoNing Province, China
1978-1980 Art School of Jilin, Diploma of Fine Art, ChangChun City, Jilin Province, China
Teaching
1996-present Instructor, Academy of Art University San Francisco, California
1985-1992 Assistant Professor, Jilin Art College, ChangChun City, China
Solo Exhibitions
2010 Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona, “A Ten Year Survey: 1999-2009”
Traveling to:
Boise Art Museum, Boise, Idaho
The Art Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, Washington (2011)
Udinotti Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona “Wanxin’s New Works”
Mindy Solomon Gallery, St. Petersburg, Florida “Wanxin Zhang 2010”
2009 University of San Francisco, Thacher Gallery, “Wanxin Zhang New Sculptures” (August to October)
University of San Francisco, Kalmanovitz Hall – Sculpture Terrace (July to January 2010)
University of San Francisco, Kalmanovitz Hall – Atrium (July to January 2010)
Sonoma State University, University Art Gallery, Rohnert Park, California “Contemporary Warriors”
Udinotti Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona “Wanxin Zhang: Ceramic Sculptures”
2008 Art Beatus Gallery, Hong Kong, China “Pit #5: My Nation” (Catalog)
Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, California “Pit #5, Contemporary Warriors”
The Alden B.Dow Museum of Science & Art, Midland Art Center, Midland, Michigan “Pit #5, Michigan”
2007 Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, California “California Artist Too”
2006 Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, Florida “Wanxin Zhang’s New Works”
University of Wyoming Art Museum Laramie, Wyoming “Pit #5 Laramie, 2006”(Catalog)
2004 Bernice Steinbaum Gallery Miami, Florida “Figures of the Future‘s Past - Pit #5”
2002 Triangle Gallery San Francisco, CA “Ceramic Sculpture” (Catalog)
2001 Vorpal Gallery San Francisco, CA “Treasures of China-A-Dialogue
1997 Space 303 San Francisco, CA “Wanxin Zhang 1997”
1996 Academy of Art University Sculpture Center, S.F., CA “Dialogue” MFA Graduate Show
Group Shows (Selected)
2009 “Glimpses: Contemporary Ceramics” Pacini Lubel Gallery, Seattle, Washington
“Nine Lives: Dog Day of the Summer” Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, Florida
2008 “Wyoming Invitational” University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
“Spirit and Form” Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, California
“A Human Impulse: Figuration from the Diane and Sandy Besser Collection” Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona (Catalog)
“Artists to Watch - Asia” Turner Carroll Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
“Taiwan Ceramics Biennale” Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (Catalog)
2007 “Innovation & Change: Arizona State University Ceramic Collection” Fort Wayne Museum of Art,
Fort Wayne, Indiana (Nationwide traveling show) (Book)
“Clay and Brush: The Ceramic Art of China” Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida (Catalog)
“What is Next?” Florida Craftsman Gallery, St. Petersburg, Florida
“The 22nd UBE Biennale International Sculpture Competition” Yamaguchi, Japan (Catalog)
2006 Landscape Sculpture Design for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games” Beijing, China (Brochure)
2005 Riverbend Sculpture Biennial 2005” Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts Owensboro, Kentucky
“The Other Mainstream” Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona (Catalog)
“Palm Beach 3” Represented by Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, Florida
“The 7th San Francisco International Art Expo” Byron Cohen Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri
2004 “It’s for the Birds” Traveling Exhibition, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery Miami, Florida (Catalog)
“Art Basel Miami Beach” International Art Fair, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, Florida
2003 “Across the Divide” Gatov and Werby Art Gallery Cal State Long Beach, California (Catalog)
“Art Basel Miami Beach” International Art Fair, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, Florida
“Fourth Toronto International Art Fair” Art Beatus Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
“14th Annual California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art” Davis, CA
“International Art Expo, Chicago” Art Beatus Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
“Gallery Artists” John Elder Gallery, New York, New York
2001 “Selected Artists” Triangle Gallery San Francisco, CA
2000 “2000 All California Exhibition” San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA
“Sculpture 2000” Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C
1999 “New Year Celebration” Hayward Art Council, Hayward City Hall. CA
1998 “The Light is Diverse in California” Center for Visual Art, Oakland, CA
“The Fifth Annual San Francisco International Art Festival” Vorpal Gallery, SF, CA
1997 “Contemporary Sculpture” Vorpal Gallery S.F CA
“California Clay Competition Exhibition” The Artery Gallery, Davis, CA (Catalog)
“Breaking Out” Chinese Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA
1996 “The 21st Annual Open Show” Roseville Art Center Roseville CA
“Spring Show” Academy Of Art University S.F CA
“June Juries Show” Gallery Router One. Point Reyes Station CA
1995 “Gallery Artists” Triangle Gallery S.F CA
“The 10th International Art Exchange” Asian Art Society in America S.F CA (Catalog)
1990 “Asian 11th Champion Art Exhibition” International Exhibition Center Beijing, China
1989 “The 7th National Fine Art Exhibition” National Fine Art Gallery, Beijing, China (Book)
Jilin Fine Art Exhibition, Jilin Province, China
Northeast Young Artist Exhibition, Changchun, China (Brochure)
1987 “The 60th Anniversary Army Art Show” National Fine Art Gallery Beijing, China
Award and Grants (Selected)
2006 Virginia A. Groot Foundation Sculptors Grant – 1st Place Evanston, Illinois
NEA / Warhol Foundation, Artist-in-Residence Award, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
2004 The Joan Mitchell Foundation Inc. Painters and Sculptors Grant New York, NY
2000 Distinctive Merit Award, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California
1997 “Honorary Merit Award of the Outdoor Sculpture Search, Los Altos City, California
1989 Sculpture Bronze Prize, The 7th National Art Exhibition, National Art Gallery Beijing, China
Jilin Fine Art Exhibition, First Place, Jilin Province, China
Reviews and Articles (Selected)
Ian Findlay “Zhang Wanxin at Art Beatus” World Sculpture News, Vol.14, No.3, p.69, Hong Kong 2008
Tonya Turner Carroll “Top Talent: 150+ emerging, established, and most influential artists” Santa Fean Collector’s Tips, Santa Fe, California, June/July 2008
Britta Erickson “Tyranny Meets Irreverence in Pit #5”, Art Beatus Gallery, Hong Kong, 2008
Robert Taylor “Building a Battalion Out of Clay”, Contra Costa Times, California, Jan. 12th, 2008
Emily Sano “Tradition and Transformation: Wanxin Zhang Sculptures” ClayArt International Yearbook, Athens,
Greece, 2007/2008
Arthur Coleman Danto “Visionary Ceramics” American Ceramics 152, New York, 2007
Mireya Hernandez “Public Art Gives New Life to Fallen Workers” Prime Time, New Mexico, 2007
Susan Moldenhauer “Wanxin Zhang’s Warriors” Catalogue Essay, Wyoming Art Museum, 2006
Angela Brooks “Recreating History” 7220 Newspaper, Laramie, Wyoming, page 9, Jan. 26th, 2006
Marilyn A. Zeitlin “Art and Justice” Catalogue Essay, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 2005
Stephanie Cash Art World Awards, Art in America, March Issue, 2005
Anne Albritton Sculpture Magazine, July/August Issue, page 69, 2005
Joel Weinstein “Coming Home to Roost” Bernice Steinbaum Gallery Catalogue Essay, 2004
Anne Tschida The Herald, Sunday, Miami, Florida, Nov. 24, 2004
Mark Ormond “Figures of the Future’s Past” Bernice Steinbaum Gallery Announcement Essay, 2004
David Alexander “Terracotta Sculpture – A Passion for Creative Art Teacher, Richmond Review San Francisco,
California, July Issue, 2002
Frank Cebulski “Wanxin Zhang: Transcultural Figure and Tradition” Catalogue Essay, Triangle Gallery, San
Francisco, California, 2002
Christopher Newhard “The Qin Warriors on His Mind” Catalogue Essay, Triangle Gallery, San Francisco, CA, 2002
Kenneth Baker “Wanxin Zhang at Triangle” San Francisco Chronicle, July 27th, D10, 2002
Books and Exhibition Catalogues
“500 Ceramic Sculptures” Lark Ceramics Book, Sterling Publishing Co. Inc., New York / London, 2009
“Taiwan Ceramics Biennale” Exhibition Book, Taipei, Taiwan, 2008
“Clay in Art International Yearbook” Clay Art International, Athens, Greece, 2007/2008
“A Human Impulse” Figuration from the Diane and Sandy Besser Collection, Arizona State University, 2008
“Exhibition Advertisement” Art in America Magazine, August 2008 Issue
“Exhibition Advertisement” Asian Art News, Singapore, Volume 18, Number 4 p.38, July/August Issue, 2008
“Innovation & Change” Peter Held, Arizona State University Art Museum, 2007
“Clay and Brush: The Ceramic Art of China” Brian Dursum, Loews Art Museum, University of Miami, 2007
“Modern Chinese Artists: A Biographical Dictionary” Michael Sullivan, University of California Press, 2006
“Landscape Sculpture Design for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games” Exhibition brochure, Beijing, CN 2006
“Virginia A. Groot Award Announcement” Sculpture Magazine, September 2006 Issue
“Virginia A. Groot Award Announcement” Art in American Magazine, October 2006 Issue
“Virginia A. Groot Award Announcement” American Craft Magazine, October/November 2006 Issue
“Virginia A. Groot Award Announcement” American Ceramics Magazine, Fall 2006 Issue
“Confrontational Clay” by Judith Schwartz. Book. Published by A&C Black Publishers, London
“Wanxin Zhang Pit #5 Wyoming 2006” University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, WY 2006
“Riverbend Sculpture Biennial” Catalog, Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, Owensboro, Kentucky, 2005
“The Other Mainstream” Weithorn Collection, Arizona State University Art Museum Tempe, AZ, 2005
“Bird” A group invitational traveling exhibition, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, FL, 2004
“Across the Divide” California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA 2003
“50th Anniversary of Sculpture Department” LuXun Institute of Fine Art, China Light Industrial Publishing House, Beijing, China, 2002
“Wanxin Zhang Sculpture” Triangle Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2002
“2000 All California Exhibition” Brochure, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA 2000
“California Clay Competition” Artery Gallery, Davis, CA 1997
“Prize Winning Art Works of the 7th Chinese National Art Exhibition” Pok Art House, Hong Kong, 1990
“World Sculpture” Henan Fine Arts Publishing House, Zheng Zhou, China, 1990
Selective Public Collections
Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California
Annie Wong Art Foundation, Hong Kong, China
Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona
City of Albuquerque, Albuquerque, New Mexico
City of Dalian, LiaoNing Province, China
Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, California
Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
New Mexico Art Division, Santa Fe, New Mexico
National Fine Art Gallery, Beijing, China
UBE Tokiwa Museum, Yamaguchi, Japan
University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie, Wyoming
Virginia A. Groot Foundation, Evanston, Illinois