Marissa Mohammed

Deconstructing cultural,
social, or political
differences
ZHANG CHUN HONG
Artist #1
Zhang Chun Hong was born in the year 1971 in Shenyang, China. At the age of 15, she
passed a national exam that admitted her to the Beijing Central Academy of Fine
Arts (CAFA) in 1986. From that point on, her life was dedicated to art. After four years
at CAFA, Zhang Chun Hong started her formal education in art by pursuing classes in
Chinese Ink Painting at CAFA, later receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in
1994.

Having learned many things at the academy, like fine craftsmanship, the Chinese
government restricted many forms of art. Due to the restriction, Zhang Chun Hong
traveled to The United States to continue her art education, this time in visual arts, in
an unrestricted country, where she later earned a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree
from the University of California in 2004. She now works and lives in Kansas.

From her Chinese background, as well as her observations and experiences of

American culture, she began to create drawings that reflected her position in society
as a minority Chinese American woman. Many of her famous artworks are charcoal
black and white drawings of long straight hair that show how it has become her
identity due to her culture and societal/political expectations that have been entitled
in her since high school, where she first remembers having such long hair that fit her
cultural norms. It became a great interest of hers to share how her culture has shaped
her, and the stereotypes also have shaped her. Since her artworks consist of drawing
hair strands, she takes pictures of her own hair for reference to study as she draws,
revealing that it is a long, time-consuming process.
ARTWORK #1

Zhang Chun Hong, My Life Strand, 2009, Charcoal on paper scroll,

Scroll: 259.1 x 91.4cm (102 x 36"), National Portrait Gallery
ARTWORK #1
In Eastern Culture, a woman’s long hair represents “life force, sexual energy growth,
and beauty” (Zhang Chun Hong | Asia society). The artist, Zhang Chun Hong, also
believes hair can express emotions. Therefore, she uses charcoal in My Life Strand to
create details that focus on the darkness and illumination of the hair to extend the
meaning. In addition to the long silky hair representing eastern culture, the artist
uses a painting scroll to display the drawing, which is widely popular in Chinese
artwork but also to further emphasize the length and flow of the hair, which is also a
key factor to the culture.
The artwork relates to the topic of deconstructing culture because it shows how hair
is essential to cultures in the Eastern continents, such as Asia. Further going into that,
they placed a high value on the texture and length of hair in their culture, making it a
depiction of beauty and desirability. It became part of their social aspects to have
silky long hair to be considered beautiful. As mentioned above, the choice of
material, charcoal on a scroll, is very meaningful to the image because the scroll
represents Chinese culture but also allows for the drawing to reflect the length of the
hair and for the charcoal to emphasize the dark silkiness of the hair.
ARTWORK #2

Zhang Chun Hong, Three Graces, 2011, Charcoal on paper, left and right: 36”w x
96”h, center: 36”w x 100”h, Collection of Contemporary Chinese Art Paris
ARTWORK #2
This piece is meant to reflect Zhang Chun Hong and her sibling, her older sister
being the middle drawing. It is meant to show how their long silky hair makes them
seem the same as their culture encourages, but what we don’t see is their faces and
even their different personalities that their culture doesn’t show. Zhang Chun Hong
stated the artwork “reflects our connections as individuals and as siblings” (Hong
Chun Zhang artwork. long hair).

Three Graces relates to the theme of deconstructing culture and social differences
because it shows how the Chinese culture, perhaps even Eastern culture in general,
tries to shape their women from a young age to look the same, covering up their
individuality. This is something the artist didn’t realize had happened to her until she
came to America and witnessed how people in America were able to represent
themselves and be different from one another. As mentioned before, the material is
chosen, the scroll and charcoal, help reflect her Chinese heritage.
ARTWORK #3

Zhang Chun Hong, Haywire (room installation), 2012, 6000ft cable wires, 7 old telephone poles,
charcoal drawings, posters on the wall, Lawrence Art Center.
ARTWORK #3 ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Haywire (detailed), charcoal drawing on the other side of the wall

ARTWORK #3 ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Haywire (the other side)

ARTWORK #3
Zhang Chun Hong stated, “The idea comes from my life experiences both in urban
China and in rural Kansas” (Installation). In a way, this is the artist bringing together
the culture she grew up with in China and the culture she adapted to in America. She
found similarities in the electric wires in both China and Kansas, where she lives, and
wanted to show how both locations can be overwhelming by placing the objects that
make up the artwork in a small gallery.
It relates to the topic of deconstructing culture because, at this point in Zhang Chun
Hong’s life, she has lived in Kansas longer than she has lived in China, and she’s
found peace in her life and has realized that certain aspects of her life are similar to
the one she had in China, like the urban area she grew up into the rural location she
lives in now and that her culture is found in more places than just the length of her
hair. In this art piece, there is no artwork revolving around the hair, indicating she no
longer sees that part of her social life consuming her, she is still Chinese American,
but it doesn’t impact her the way it used to because she now feels a sense of equality
despite her culture.
KERRY JAMES MARSHALL
Artist #2
Kerry James Marshall was born in the year 1955 in Birmingham,
Alabama. Being an African American in Birmingham, Alabama, in
1950-60, he learned a lot and realized his culture and people of his
color were not widely represented, and he wanted to represent people
of color and show that they are equally as important in social construct
and can be placed in art. His love for art grew as he started his studies,
and despite portraits and paintings mainly representing white culture
and society, he reminded people that his purpose might be to show
social differences with his art, but it doesn’t take away the beauty of
other’s art who only show white culture.

He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 1978 from the Otis Art
Institute in Los Angeles and later, at the same institute, earned a
Doctorate degree in 1999. He then taught at The University of Illinois
until 2006 while creating acrylic paintings when possible.

Much of his artwork revolves around the 1960s aesthetic, during the
rise of the civil war, but placed middle-class related objects and
interiors in his artworks to break the assumptions of them being poor
and the social indifferences people had about African Americans
during the time.
ARTWORK #1

Kerry James Marshall, A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self, 1980,
Egg tempera on paper, 8 × 6 1/2 in. (20.3 × 16.5 cm)
 ARTWORK #1
Intentionally making his painting small, A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self was
“inspired by Ralph Ellison's 1952 novel Invisible Man, whose protagonist is a young Black man who
navigates being virtually invisible to the eyes of white America because of the color of his skin.
They don't see him as human because their preconceived notions keep him at a distance. If they
would allow themselves to get close enough, they'd understand that he's just as human as they
are” (A portrait of the artist as a shadow of his former self [Kerry James Marshall]).
By making his artwork small, Kerry James Marshall forces the viewer to take a closer look and see
the portrait of a black, invisible man who blends into the dark background where all you can see
is his white eyes and white teeth, indicating people are used to seeing white not only in everyday
society but its art as well. This is his attempt to show the social differences in an educational
manner.
The artwork relates to the topic of deconstructing culture and social differences because Kerry
James Marshall is very adamant about showing how it feels to be an African American man in a
white America where he is often overlooked or not given the same treatment as others showing
social inequality. The material he chose, the small paper and dark paint colors, further represent
that being overlooked time and time again makes you feel small, which is represented why the
paper he chose to do the art on. The dark colors intentionally make the man hard to see due to the
dark background, and the dark skin colors man blends into the background, making him harder
to see except for his eyes and teeth, which are white and the most noticeable features
immediately.
ARTWORK #2

Kerry James Marshall, Bang, 1994, acrylic and collage on canvas, 104 x 120 inches
ARTWORK #2
This piece is a large-scale painting that shows African American children standing
behind a ribbon saying, ‘we are one’ and ‘resistance to tyranny is obedience to
god’ in a suburban backyard with the girl holding an American flag on the 4th of
July (Davidzwirner).
This work relates to the topic of deconstructing culture and social differences
because it goes against what most people assumed African Americans could own
property-wise. The house is very modern and well-kept. You can tell by the green
grass and flowers, even a grill in the corner with a surrounding white picket fence
which is often associated with white Americans on independence day. The children
are also dressed in white, and one is holding an American flag celebrating their
independence as Americans, not based on the color of their skin. Furthermore, the
signs ‘we are one’ and ‘resistance to tyranny is obedience to god’ shows African
American culture and their way of life of having to prove themselves as equal and
having to go through movements still to this day to do so. Kerry James Marshall’s use
of bright colors further supports the meaning because it shows the bright
background and white houses, which outshines the African American children, which
is the point of most of his paintings - everything except the African American person
will be noticeable right away due to social inequality in the life of the 1960s.
ARTWORK #3

Kerry James Marshall, Beauty Examined, 1993, Acrylic and collage on canvas, 84 × 98 in.
(213.4 × 248.9 cm), Collection of Charles Sims and Nancy Adams-Sims
ARTWORK #3
Kerry James Marshall created this painting to deconstruct social differences. This
African American woman is judged for being too heavy, being instantly judged by the
way she looks, the color of her skin, her hair texture, etc., because she did not fit into
what white Americans believed and portrayed beauty to be. Beauty Examined is “a
brutal examination of “beauty,” as it is manifested in a black woman’s body. Every part
of her is labeled, numbered, and judged. Her skin is sliced off, and she might as well
be a corpse” (Lauren Kindle).
This work relates to the topic of deconstructing culture and social differences because
it shows how during the time of 1960, people were quick to judge, especially people of
a different race if they didn’t fit societal norms; they didn’t look skinny, their hair wasn’t
properly styles, their cloths were vivid colors and new. It can also reflect African
American culture. Their hair texture is different from other cultures, their self-care is
different from other cultures, and their values are different. White Americans of 1960
placed a high value on their clothing and getting their hair styled professionally;
African Americans valued trying to prove their equality without succumbing to white
America’s norm; their hair care routine is vastly different than an average white
person’s hair care routine. The use of bright yellow dots on the African American lady
really stands out to show how analytical people could be of others and how they broke
someone down to just numbers and labels.
FINAL STATEMENT
Word Count: 475
Both artists hold great value to their upbringings, meaning their work is a reflection of their culture and social
life. Zhang Chun Hong places a lot of value on her culture by educating others through her art that hair, not only
in Chinese culture but in Eastern culture as a whole, is very essential and a sign of great beauty; the longer and
the silkier the hair, the better (My Life Stand). She further deconstructs her culture by using a paper scroll as her
medium because, in her culture, it is very common for artists to be presented on a scroll.
Kerry James Marshall places a lot of value on showing a side of African American culture that many people of
the 1990s turned a blind eye to. She showed 1960s African Americans happy in a modern suburban home but
still fighting for equality (Bang) and showing how quickly people can judge based on skin color and societal
expectations (Beauty Examined). He further deconstructs his social differences by using a small canvas in his
painting A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self to show how small people and the invisible of his
culture felt, and the use of dark colors further emphasizes his point by his use of abstract white color which is
the most noticeable feature of his painting.
Both artists’ approaches are similar in that they like to add subtle details that can easily be overlooked but,
without further analysis, hold great meaning. In Zhang Chun Hong’s drawing, Three Graces, it just seems like
another drawing that shows her hair, but its actually her and her sister’s hair showing that they all have long,
silky hair, and that’s all they are meant to be. It doesn’t show their faces or how they are different. Her point of
those drawings that makes up one piece is to show how in her culture, being the same and hiding your
individualism is what makes you considered beautiful and how she didn’t realize this until she came to America,
where people proudly showed their individualism. In Kerry James Marshall’s painting Beauty Examined, at a
glance, it looks like an autopsy, but there are red words and numbers in the background depicting the women’s
size, highest, and weight along with yellow pinpoints on the body pointing out ‘flaws’ that white Americans
found not beautiful.
The main difference between these artists is that Zhang Chun Hong focuses on her culture more by repeatedly
using her hair in her artwork to further focus on her culture’s high value of hair, whereas Kerry James Marshal
focuses on social differences and how in most forms of art represents white culture instead on African
Americans. He further shows how their race is judged by the way their hair texture, their body build, the
clothing they wear, and more.
ARTWORK PROPOSAL
& STATEMENT
 PROPOSAL & STATEMENT
An art piece I would like to create would be a drawing done in charcoal that depicts an empty, 5-tier
bookcase. The use of charcoal on paper will allow me to create texture and fine lines to emphasize
the books and even put titles of the books within my drawing. If I were to create an art piece, I would
like mine to be socially engaged art; that way, my artwork can contribute to real-world issues while
also engaging with a community. However, in my drawing, I would fill the bookcase with different
genres of books on each self and a few knickknacks that define me or things on those shelves. On
the last shelf, on the bottom, I would leave that self empty to depict that there is still room to grow and
find new interests, perhaps even leaving room to reorganize and rearrange the bookshelf because as
we age and grow, our interests and level of importance of those interest change. To contribute to
socially engaged art, I would leave the paper in bookstores with only the shelves drawn and nothing
on them for people to use and draw on. In doing so, I would most likely use a small piece of paper, 8
X 7 inches, to portray the idea of finding yourself through your interest, or in this case, the books you
read. In my experience, I’ve found I’m fond of certain genres, and I’ve discovered they contributed to
the way I think and perceive the world, inevitably contributing to my identity. Unlike Zhang Chun
Hong and Kerry James Marshall, my artwork would focus more on self-discovery and fluidity of
identity.
SKETCH PROPOSAL
WORK CITED
References
§ Davidzwirner. “Kerry James Marshall - Biography.” David Zwirner, https://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/kerry-james-marshall/biography.
§ Davidzwirner. “Kerry James Marshall's Bang on the Cover of the New York Review of Books.” David Zwirner,
https://www.davidzwirner.com/news/2020/kerry-james-marshall-new-york-review-of-books-cover-july-2020%C2%A0.
§ “Hong Chun Zhang Artwork. Long Hair.” hcz0, https://www.hongchunzhang.com/long-hair.
§ “Hong Chun Zhang: Biography.” Nanhai Art - Chinese Contemporary Art,
https://www.nanhaiart.com/artist/Zhang_Hong%20Chun/biography/.
§ “IMG_9544.” Arts Observer, 28 Dec. 2011, http://www.artsobserver.com/2011/12/28/zhang-chung-hong-explores-identity-through-her-long-
straight-black-hair/img_9544/.
§ “Installation.” hcz0, https://www.hongchunzhang.com/installation.
§ “Kerry James Marshall and Helen Molesworth in Conversation.” YouTube, 6 Apr. 2017, https://youtu.be/3jQJSuw4Jbk.
§ “Kerry James Marshall.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kerry-James-
Marshall.
§ “Kerry James Marshall.” YouTube, 7 Oct. 2022, https://youtu.be/Ybj5vM_KD44.
§ Lauren Kindle. “Kerry James Marshall: Mastry.” Lauren Kindle, Lauren Kindle, 1 June 2022,
http://www.laurenkindle.com/blog/2016/12/13/kerry-james-marshall.
§ Lim, Clara, and Chinese-American artist Zhang Chun Hong showcases clean. “Interview: Zhang Chun Hong for Currents: Flow, Fall, Calm,
Curl.” BK Magazine Online, 25 Jan. 2014, https://bk.asia-city.com/events/article/interview-zhang-chun-hong-currents-flow-fall-calm-curl.
§ Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/668284?&exhibitionId=%7B175f55d3-dbd8-4be6-b248-
9dc2025021f0%7D&oid=668284&pkgids=368&pg=1&rpp=4&pos=2&ft=%2A.
§ Metmuseum.org, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/668302.
§ “My Life Strands.” National Portrait Gallery, https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_EXH.AA.21.
§ “A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self [Kerry James Marshall].” Sartle, 20 July 2022, https://www.sartle.com/artwork/a-
portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-shadow-of-his-former-self-kerry-james-marshall.
§ Zhang Chun Hong | Asia Society. https://asiasociety.org/texas/zhang-chun-hong.