Solo Exhibition by Hudson Shaoxia Zhang in the Bellini Museum in Florence

The Bellini Museum in Florence will host an exhibition of oil paintings by the artist Hudson Shaoxia Zhang, themed around golf courses, from June 22 to 30, 2024. The works reflect Zhang's passion for both artistic creation and golf. Having played on many golf courses around the world, he has created nearly a thousand landscapes with a unique style. Zhang has previously exhibited at the Nanjing Academy of Art, the University of London, and will have upcoming exhibitions at the Sorbonne, the University of Leuven, Columbia University, and other venues.

Hudson Shaoxia Zhang boasts over fifty years of artistic experience. In the late 1970s, he pursued a master's degree in Art History at the Nanjing Academy of Art, studying under Professor Liu Ruli. During his three years of postgraduate studies, he wrote a foreign art history manual that has been used in many Chinese art schools. Together with art critic Li Xiaoshan, he co-authored the book "History of Modern Chinese Painting," a fundamental work during the "85 New Wave Art Movement." In the 1980s, he dedicated himself to research and writing, publishing works such as "History of European Art and Craft" and "History of Asian Art and Craft," which are considered foundational in the study of foreign art and craft. In the early 21st century, he wrote other significant works such as "History of the Development of Western Art" and "Great Encyclopedia of World Art," greatly contributing to the study of foreign art history in China.

Oil painting is a universal artistic language, and as a Chinese artist, Hudson Shaoxia Zhang has deeply understood its principles and techniques, expressing a strong artistic personality. His choice to depict golf course landscapes gives his work a unique style and special significance. Golf, an ancient yet modern sport, symbolizes the harmony between man and nature. Through this theme, Zhang explores the interaction between golf course landscapes, nature, society, and the artist's inner world, layering meanings behind the images. This blend of traditional landscape painting and golf culture breathes new life into both.

Conceptually, Hudson Shaoxia Zhang does not strive for complete fidelity to realism. Art historian Simon Schama has said that "the truth of an image lies in a poetic truth, not a literal one." Zhang's golf course landscapes achieve a "poetic transformation" from reality to image, incorporating elements of expressionism and fauvism, emphasizing emotional experience and echoing romanticism. Zhang maintains a balance between likeness and unlikeness, rejecting both "super-realism" and "commercial works." As he himself states, "Even if there were another artist as passionate about painting golf courses as I am, painting the same course and the same hole at the same time, the result would be different. It's like trying to replicate Corot's Barbizon, Monet's water lilies, Morandi's bottles, or Hockney's Yorkshire." This is the beauty of his golf course landscapes.

Throughout art history, many artists have chosen to step away from artistic centers to find new directions: Thoreau discovered the beauty of nature at Walden Pond far from the bustle of Paris; the Southern California sun and Hollywood pools shaped the iconic David Hockney. Hudson Shaoxia Zhang uses elements of golf such as fairways, greens, and hazards to create artistic landscapes, challenging traditional landscape painting conventions and forging his own artistic legend.

This exhibition, marking the debut of Zhang's works in Italy, aims to create an opportunity for dialogue between the artist and a wider audience, building a bridge of communication between golf enthusiasts and art lovers.

Text by Li Ximeng