“Ngelixa abantu abaninzi bengazange beve ngoZhang Zhanzhan ngaphambili, bayibonile ibhere yakhe, ibhere ebomvu,” utshilo uSerena Zhao, umseki weArtDepot Gallery. “Abanye bacinga ukuba omnye wemifanekiso eqingqiweyo yebhere kaZhang ekhayeni labo kuya kuzisa ulonwabo. Abalandeli bakhe bathatha uluhlu olubanzi, ukusuka kubantwana abakwi-kindergarten abaneminyaka emibini okanye emithathu ukuya kuma-50 okanye ama-60 abasetyhini. Uthandwa kakhulu phakathi kwabalandeli abangamadoda abazalwa ngeminyaka yoo-1980 okanye ngo-1990.

Wazalwa ngeminyaka yoo-1980, undwendwe lwegalari uHou Shiwei ngumlandeli oqhelekileyo. Ukujonga kumboniso kaZhang wedwa wamva nje eBeijing's ArtDepot, watsalwa ngoko nangoko yimiboniso.

“Imisebenzi yakhe emininzi indikhumbuza amava am,” utshilo uHou. "Imvelaphi yemisebenzi yakhe emininzi imnyama, kwaye abalinganiswa abaphambili bapeyintwe ngombala obomvu oqaqambileyo, bebonisa iimvakalelo zangaphakathi zamanani, kunye nemvelaphi ebonisa inkqubo emnyama. UMurakami Haruki ukhe wathi xa uphuma kuqhwithela, awuzukufana nomntu ongeneyo. Yile nto bendiyicinga xa ndibukele imizobo kaZhang.”

Ngelixa wayebalasele kwimizobo eqingqiweyo kwiYunivesithi yaseNanjing yezobuGcisa, uZhang wanikela uninzi lomsebenzi wakhe wobuchwephesha ekufumaneni isitayile sakhe sobuchule esahlukileyo.

“Ndicinga ukuba wonke umntu unesithukuthezi,” latsho igcisa. “Abanye bethu basenokungayazi loo nto. Ndizama ukubonisa iimvakalelo abantu abanazo: isithukuthezi, intlungu, ulonwabo novuyo. Wonke umntu uziva ezinye zezi, ngaphezulu okanye ngaphantsi. Ndinethemba lokuvakalisa iimvakalelo ezinjalo eziqhelekileyo.”

Imigudu yakhe ibe neziqhamo, abaninzi besithi imisebenzi yakhe izisa intuthuzelo enkulu kunye nokuphilisa.

“Xa ndandilapho phandle, ilifu ladlula, livumela ukukhanya kwelanga ukuba kubonakale kuloo mfanekiso uqingqiweyo wemivundla,” lwatsho olunye undwendwe. “Kwakubonakala ngathi icamngca ngokuzolileyo, yaye loo mbono wandichukumisa. Ndicinga ukuba amagcisa abalaseleyo abamba ababukeli kwangoko ngolwimi lwabo okanye ezinye iinkcukacha. ”

Nangona imisebenzi kaZhang ithandwa kakhulu phakathi kwabantu abancinci, ayihlelwanga njengobugcisa befashoni, ngokukaSerena Zhao. “Kunyaka ophelileyo, kwisemina yemfundo yegalari yezobugcisa, saxoxa ukuba ingaba imisebenzi kaZhang Zhanzhan yeyefashoni okanye yobugcisa bale mihla. Abalandeli bezobugcisa bexesha langoku bafanele ukuba babe liqela elincinci, kubandakanywa nabaqokeleli babucala. Kwaye ubugcisa befashoni buthandwa kakhulu kwaye bufikeleleka kumntu wonke. Sivumile ukuba uZhang Zhanzhan unempembelelo kuzo zombini ezi ndawo.

Kwiminyaka yakutshanje uZhang wenze inani lamaqhekeza obugcisa boluntu. Uninzi lwazo lube ziindawo zedolophu. Unethemba lokuba ababukeli banokusebenzisana nofakelo lwakhe lwangaphandle. Ngaloo ndlela, ubugcisa bakhe buya kuzisa ulonwabo kunye nentuthuzelo kuluntu.