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Zhang Shujian’s Portraits of Idiosyncratic Characters

Chinese painter Zhang Shujian creates stylized portraits that point out the beauty in characters that may not be considered conventionally beautiful. Focusing on the skin in great detail, the artist maps out wrinkles, lines, and hairs that paint a picture of the characters' worldly experiences. Some of Zhang's subjects face away from the viewer, obscuring their faces with their hair and hands. Their reluctance to be seen invites us to guess at their identities and imagine what might lie beneath the surface.

Chinese painter Zhang Shujian creates stylized portraits that point out the beauty in characters that may not be considered conventionally beautiful. Focusing on the skin in great detail, the artist maps out wrinkles, lines, and hairs that paint a picture of the characters’ worldly experiences. Some of Zhang’s subjects face away from the viewer, obscuring their faces with their hair and hands. Their reluctance to be seen invites us to guess at their identities and imagine what might lie beneath the surface.

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