ZHOU B: CHINA—CHICAGO Past Present Future

Chicago’s KN Gallery to Launch Zhou Brothers’
30-year Contemporary Art Retrospective
                                   
KN Gallery is hosting the Chicago launch of the Zhou Brothers’ 2007 retrospective in the John Hancock Center from March 22–April 29, 2007. KN Gallery’s exhibition, “ZHOU B: CHINA—CHICAGO Past Present Future,” will feature paintings, sculptures and works on paper from throughout the brothers’ 30 years as artists. The gallery also will unveil a never-before-seen painting by the Zhou Brothers.

The KN Gallery event is a prelude to the National Art Museum of China’s fall 2007 celebration honoring the contemporary art of the Zhou Brothers, ShanZuo and DaHuang.

“We are thrilled to present this wonderful exhibition in Chicago, which has been the Zhou Brothers’ home base for the past 21 years,” Lara Niemira, KN Gallery director, said. “In August, 300 pieces of the Zhou Brothers’ work will be displayed in their homeland of China. It will be their largest exhibition to date and will be showcased at The National Art Museum of China in Beijing.”

The cross-continental journey from Chicago to China is representative of the personal transition the brothers have taken as artists. “It brings uniqueness to their cultural masterpieces, which are an inventive blending of Western and Eastern techniques,” Niemira said.

Raised in the 1960s, the Zhou Brothers passionately developed their artistic studies and established themselves as well respected artists. As their works were increasingly exhibited
and recognized, the brothers were hailed as national treasures of China. The brothers began collaborating on their work in 1973 and since then have collaborated on each and every work.

“One of the themes explicit in the Zhou Brothers’ works of art is a contemporary twist on the ancient petroglyphs they studied in the mountain ranges in their youth,” Niemira said. “This theme can be seen in the colorful and bold paintings ‘Paradise’ and ‘Mother and Child’ which will be part of KN Gallery’s exhibition.”

The Zhou Brothers are also well known for their extraordinary live painting performances
in which they create a full piece in front of a live audience. Their most famous demonstration was performed in Davos, Switzerland, during the World Economic Forum in 2000. They completed a piece titled “New Beginnings” in front of an audience of influential leaders from all over the globe with mixed political views. It is in this way that they have the strong belief that they can bring people together with a common visual theme.

A catalogue including an essay by Oskar Friedl, curator of the Zhou B. Center, will be available for visitors to the KN Gallery exhibition. 

About KN Gallery
KN Gallery debuted December 2006 and is located in Chicago’s historic John Hancock Center, 875 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2515.  KN Gallery specializes in 20th century masters of the modern, post-war and contemporary periods.  KN Gallery hours are: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays; and 11:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Additional information is available online at kngallery.com.