Meet the Artists: Friday Night Gallery Talk with
William Andersen and Xiaohong Zhang
William Andersen and Xiaohong Zhang
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| Add caLeft: William Andersen, Global Brands Kids (Kuwait Series #1), 2010, oil, ink & acrylic on digital print on canvas, 36 x 26 inches. Right: Xiaohong Zhang, Red Buddha, 2009, digital printing and paper-cutting, 70 x 80 inches |
On view from August 24–October 10 at the James Watrous Gallery, side-by-side solo exhibitions by William Andersen and Xiaohong Zhang. Join us for an opening reception this Friday, August 27, from 5:30–7:30 pm. Artist talks begin at 6:30 pm. Free and open to the public.
Milwaukee artist William Andersen's installations are informed by his extensive travel, and explore the impact of globalization, displacement, and cultural hybridization. His previous work focused on the social and economic ramifications of China's emergence as a world power. His exhibition, veiled ramblings, draws upon his recent experiences in the Arabian Peninsula and addresses common misperceptions about the region. Several pieces in this installation were created in collaboration with Iranian artist Maryam Hosseinia, Andersen's colleague at the American University of Kuwait.
Xiaohong Zhang is a first generation Chinese immigrant from Hubei Province who teaches at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Her exhibition, contradictorily speaking, pairs digital printing with the traditional art of paper-cutting to create large-scale work that is both personal and deeply political. In precise, intricately patterned images, she reflects on the challenges of bridging cultures and raising children in a turbulent and violent world. "Fundamentally," Zhang writes, "I draw creative ideas from my experiences as a first-generation immigrant, artist, professor and mother." Zhang's current pieces focus on China's response to the Tibetan independence movement and the complex relationship between communism and Buddhism.
Xiaohong Zhang is a first generation Chinese immigrant from Hubei Province who teaches at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Her exhibition, contradictorily speaking, pairs digital printing with the traditional art of paper-cutting to create large-scale work that is both personal and deeply political. In precise, intricately patterned images, she reflects on the challenges of bridging cultures and raising children in a turbulent and violent world. "Fundamentally," Zhang writes, "I draw creative ideas from my experiences as a first-generation immigrant, artist, professor and mother." Zhang's current pieces focus on China's response to the Tibetan independence movement and the complex relationship between communism and Buddhism.
About the James Watrous Gallery
The James Watrous Gallery is the premier gallery for Wisconsin visual art. A program of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, the James Watrous Gallery presents works by Wisconsin artists, Wisconsin art and craft history, works owned by Wisconsin collectors, and exhibitions that bridge the sciences, arts, and humanities. Our mission is to promote the visual arts in Wisconsin through quality exhibitions and related educational programs. For gallery hours and current exhibitions, please visit wisconsinacademy.org or call 608-265-2500.
The James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
221 State Street, Overture Center for the Arts, Third Floor - Madison, WI 53705
Phone: 608-265-2500 / Contact: Martha Glowacki, co-director
221 State Street, Overture Center for the Arts, Third Floor - Madison, WI 53705
Phone: 608-265-2500 / Contact: Martha Glowacki, co-director
Hours: T/W/Th 11–5:00 pm, F/Sa 11–8:00 pm, Su 1–5:00 pm, M closed (closed July 4)
