Zhang Xiaogang took family photos from the Cultural Revolution as blueprint for his Bloodline series, making it one of the most representative works of Chinese contemporary art. This series began in 1993, and symbolized the maturity in Zhang’s creative style, which also had profound impact on his subsequent artistic practice.

Created in 1995, Bloodline: Big Family, Family Portrait is the most important work in the Bloodline series. It fully inherited the visual essence of Zhang’s first Bloodline creation 1993. The classic three-member family portrait with a monotonous grey, reveals the fixed model of photo studios around China during the Cultural Revolution. The family members also appear collective and uniform.The characters wear standardized clothing, with expressions as dull as specimens. The yellow spots on their visage suggest the passing of time, like scars left by the traumatic memories of that generation. Art critic Li Xianting comments, “the Bloodline series has become the miniature portrait of a Chinese citizen – often tricked by fate, or the unpredictable political currents, but may still appear as calm as the water and achieve self-sufficiency and contentment.” In Bloodline: Big Family, Family Portrait, Zhang Xiaogang groups elements of memories, imageries, and symbols into one visual context. It evokes a certain sensibility, and invites the spectator to step into the imagery and experience its deeper connotation.

(Edited by Lijie Wang & Miao Zijin, 2019)