The Zhou Brothers

Shanzuo Zhoushi and Dahuang Zhoushi, born in Guangxi, China, and currently based in Chicago, US, are world renowned Chinese painters. Since coming to the US in 1986, they have become celebrity artists in US and Europe with their endeavor and talent.

Time and time again they created legends of the world’s abstract art history; their paintings are chased after by collectors, celebrities, museums and foundations; they hold exhibitions all over the globe and have received numerous awards.

As one of the most important contemporary artists duo, they create unique, profound, and powerful works through the collaboration of the two. Their contribution to late 20th century’s contemporary art is unneglectable, and their works have made the top rankings of global living artists. Together, the Zhou Brothers have led an artistic career for over 40s, creating a legend of art history and American dream.

The Zhou Brothers were born in 1950s, China Guangxi, into a family of scholars, and were committed to art since a very young age. In the late 1970s, Zhou Brothers developed an abstraction style that merged China’s primitive art aesthetic - inspired by the ancient Huashan rock paintings - with the language of western art tradition. They also established a system of symbols that express life’s passion and power, and successfully displayed abstruse eastern philosophy, and possesses a shocking contemporary vision.

In 1985, at the age of 33 and 28 respectively, the Zhou Brothers reached the peak of contemporary art in China with their abstract paintings, and were invited to put on a solo exhibition in Chicago. Their first exhibition immediately attracted the attention of the Chicago art community. Chicago Sun-Times art critic Margaret Hawkins described the show as follows: “The whole thing is a pattern of ritual celebration that owes nothing to Renaissance perspective or the Western tendency toward narrative.”

The Zhou Brothers style not only belongs to the abstract sphere which the west is familiar with, it also carries the mysterious vibe of ancient China’s prehistoric civilization. After the exhibition, the Zhou Brothers were followed by commercial success. By 1990, their exhibitions had taken place in high end galleries and art museums around the world.

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