Abbotsford Art Gallery | Gallery | Donna Zhang
Born in the north-eastern province of Jilin, China in 1958, Donna Zhang was drawn to art as a child and recalls that a favorite pasttime was to translate her friend's desires for toys or clothing into sketches.
She studied art for 13 years, earning a degree from a Chinese university in the 80's. She worked as an art educator for several years, before continuing with advanced studies at Saitama Uniiversity in Japan, achieving a master's degree in the 90's.
However the focus of her artistic energies took a sharp turn in 1999, when she traveled with a small group to a remote corner of Tibet to help preserve the habitat of an endangered species of monkey.
There she encountered the indigenous Tibetan people and was struck by the contrast of their rough, simple lives with the richness of their warmth and generosity.
Further trips to Tibet in 2001 and 2002 deepened the appreciation of their character and provided material for her portraits of children. These portraits capture the openness, simplicity and warmth of the people, their strength and resilience.
She studied art for 13 years, earning a degree from a Chinese university in the 80's. She worked as an art educator for several years, before continuing with advanced studies at Saitama Uniiversity in Japan, achieving a master's degree in the 90's.
However the focus of her artistic energies took a sharp turn in 1999, when she traveled with a small group to a remote corner of Tibet to help preserve the habitat of an endangered species of monkey.
There she encountered the indigenous Tibetan people and was struck by the contrast of their rough, simple lives with the richness of their warmth and generosity.
Further trips to Tibet in 2001 and 2002 deepened the appreciation of their character and provided material for her portraits of children. These portraits capture the openness, simplicity and warmth of the people, their strength and resilience.
