One Lunch-Hour | Zhang Shujian: Textile Skin-Weaving

For this session, we are joined by artist Zhang Shujian, a participant in the “Intervention” exhibition, who will offer an in-depth look at his “Woven Skin” series, a body of work he began developing in 2012. In this series, Zhang Shujian meticulously uses brushstrokes to “weave” the texture of skin onto the canvas, creating paintings that are not only seen but almost felt. His works pulsate with life; every detail is vividly rendered.

“Woven Skin” is more than just a title for a series—it represents the artist’s pursuit of self-expression and innovation. Dissatisfied with a creative process over-reliant on photographic effects, Zhang Shujian began experimenting with a freer, more expressive approach to the picture plane, marking the genesis of the “Woven Skin” series.

For this series, Zhang draws inspiration from master artworks that have personally moved him. Through a painstaking, weaving-like depiction, he brings the details and textures of skin to life on the canvas. This technique imbues the details in his paintings with a distinct warmth, creating a stark contrast to machine-made imagery and revealing a truth based on sensory perception.