"Line" serves as the central element of the artist's practice. The compositions continuously expand around this fundamental unit, allowing the subject matter to evolve alongside it. The crisscrossing and overlapping of lines grant the outcome of each painting infinite possibilities; whether it be a permanent, solid stance or a fleeting, ephemeral moment, both are rendered through the diverse versatility of the brushwork.

Personal emotion is the most critical internal driver governing the artist’s themes and creative direction. From cold, mechanical repetition to passionate, dance-like fluid strokes, these lines reveal varying mental states. Scenes from daily life and "decisive moments" captured in imagery serve as the foundational sources for the compositions. By employing "line" as a symbolic language, the artist has entered a "World of Lines." Within this realm, the author deconstructs and reshapes figures and objects, utilizing unpredictable linear graffiti to seek and construct a brand-new visual linguistic system within the context of contemporary art.

This series marks the inception of the artist’s professional career. Rooted in the traditional Chinese painting principle of "transmission through copying" (Chuanyi Muxie), the artist focuses on deconstructing and reshaping traditional concepts and classical iconography. This specific series was conceived after the artist encountered the original masterpiece Five Horses in Tokyo in 2019.

Technically, the artist employs a method akin to Gongbi (fine-brush) line drawing, transforming subjects into orderly and uniform imagery. Great emphasis is placed on the overall integrity and sense of order within the composition, while exploring the richness and possibilities of localized details. By varying the texture, thickness, and spacing of lines, the artist delineates different forms. The background, rendered in ink and wash, allows the figures and horses to traverse through various temporal and spatial dimensions created by the ink. This series represents the genesis of the artist's style, which has since evolved toward Western media such as acrylics and oils on canvas.

About the Artist

Zhang Kai
（China，b.2000）

MFA in Contemporary Art, East China Normal University. Based in Shanghai. Lines are the core element of his art. By using lines as a symbolic language, he creates a “world of lines” in which he can deconstruct and reconstruct figures and objects. Through the overlapping and intersecting of lines, his paintings generate infinite possibilities. Images from everyday life and decisive moments captured in photographs serve as the fundamental sources for his compositions. Whether depicting enduring stillness or fleeting instants, he conveys them through diverse brushwork, constructing a new visual language system within contemporary art. His works have been exhibited at Jiushi Art Museum, Shanghai, and Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Japan.