Zhou brothers

Early life

The Zhou Brothers were born into a family of scholars and educators. Early in his life, ShanZuo traveled with his father, a poet, and began to study poetry and Chinese history. They grew up in the early years of the People’s Republic of China and Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. Because of the early political movements of the People’s Republic, the brothers’ father was forced to leave their family and his position as headmaster of a college, and the brothers were left in the care of their grandmother. Shan Zuo studied Chinese literature and painting while DaHuang studied painting and music with his grandmother. In 1964 the family returned to Ning Ming, Guangxi Province, and the Zhou Brothers were able to see the cliff paintings in Fa Shan. The images there would have a great influence on their work.

The Cultural Revolution in 1966 caused many changes, and the Zhou Brothers’ family suffered. In 1968 ShanZuo separated from the family for a period of time to explore China on his own, and the entire family was exiled to the Da Ming Shan mountain range. During this time, both of the brothers were producing art, mostly experiments and sketches that would inform later collaborative pieces. The brothers reunited in 1973 and begin their work as collaborative artists.

Art and Life in China

The Zhou Brothers worked on their art in China together from 1973-1986. Their first piece together, "The Wave," is still very important to the brothers, not just as their first image together but as something of a self-portrait from the time. During this time the brothers did various other things besides their art together. ShanZuo was a set designer for the local opera in Nanning, and DaHuang became a set painter for the Guangxi Dance Troupe. Both of these positions allowed the brothers slightly freer movement in China during the last years of the Cultural Revolution. In 1974 ShanZuo was hired as a director for a cavern excavation near Nanning and in 1975 DaHuang graduated from high school. In 1976 the Cultural Revolution ended upon the death of Mao and the Zhou Brother’s work and lives took a huge leap forward. DaHuang was able to start work for he National College of Guangxi as an art director in designing museum exhibits. "The Brothers suffered great difficulties, hardships, and separations in early years, learning through adversity to pursue freedom; gathering confidence to use their art for human communication, based in painful life experience, which brought about new thinking. Their rehabilitation of the ancient art language of Chinese culture, supplemented by modern techniques enabled them to make a fresh contribution to late century world art."

In 1977 they toured with an art group and the brothers began an in-depth study of folk art in different parts of the country. They wrote a series of articles entitled “A Study of Folk Art” that are published in several newspapers and art magazines. In 1978 the Zhou Brothers were accepted into the Shanghai Drama Institute where they studied Western painting and modern art.

Art and Life in the United States

The Zhou Brothers began work in the United States in 1986, settling in the Bridgeport area of Chicago, Illinois where they still reside and work while exhibiting nationally and internationally. They have held guest professorships at the International Academy for Art and Design at the Fachhochschule in Hamburg, Germany, 1996 and at the Sommerakademie in Salzburg, Austria, from 1996 to 2010. The most important demonstration of their collaboration is the performance the Zhou Brothers gave during the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2000. In front of the most important political, economic, and cultural leaders of the world, they created a large-format painting titled New Beginnings to give due treatment to their most important theme: mankind. They were chosen to create a work of art in honor of President Hu Jintao's state visit in January 19, 2011. The work that they created was part of a series called Portrait of History. The Zhou Brothers attended the ceremony at the White House when the painting was presented as a gift to President Hu Jintao. In 2004 the Zhou Brothers, along with ShanZuo's son Michael Zhou, started the Zhou B Art Center in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. the art center houses artist studios as well as multiple galleries. The Zhou Brothers will also exhibit their work in the space as they did in September 2012 with their series of work "Li - River of Souls."

Selected Awards, Honors, Recognitions

1985

2006

2011