DE SARTHE is pleased to present Berlin based artist, Xinyan Zhang’s solo exhibition, Out of the Time. Xinyan Zhang’s practice explores the weakness of human nature and the state of existence, influenced by her childhood experience of growing up in Shenzhen, China in the early 90s, a time of rapid economic development and social instability. Her work often features chaotic imagery of survivors in ruins, with their eyes, hearts, or other body parts hollowed out or mutilated. Within the abstract space of her paintings, the wounded victims allude to the decay and withering of the modern spiritual world. Desire, betrayal, indifference, among other human weaknesses distort the spirituality of human existence – Xinyan Zhang’s work visualises this corruption, with a particular focus on the underprivileged status of women and children in society.

As a child, Xinyan Zhang was regularly kept at home for protection due to a fear of human trafficking, having to endure hunger and loneliness everyday while her parents were away. This occupied most of her upbringing, causing insecurity to take root in her young heart. Under these circumstances, painting became her warmest companion.

Painted in both classic oil paint and contemporary acrylic, Xinyan Zhang's spontaneous and carefree compositions on canvas may be regarded to have a childlike playfulness, while straightforward and full of narrative. She has been particularly sensitive to colour since she was a child, and it has become a distinctive focus in her work. Her creative approach is characterized by automatism and spontaneity, with swift yet decisive brushwork reflecting her affinity for quick sketching. Fleeting images inspired by her memories of real events, personal experiences, and the news populate her vibrant and busy paintings.

Gallery address: 26/F, M Place, 54 Wong Chuk Hang Road