Xi Zhang
Value#85
Egon Investment Scores
Liquidity
3/10
How easily works can be bought and sold at auction
Institutional
8/10
Museum collections, biennials, and institutional recognition
Momentum
6/10
Recent price trends, gallery moves, and market buzz
Discovery
4/10
Undervaluation opportunity relative to peer artists
Risk
3/10
Investment risk factors — higher means more volatile
Market Position
Recent Sales Highlights
| Work | Price | Venue & Date |
|---|---|---|
| Horse, Dragonfly & Ant (2008) | — | Santa Fe Art Auction, September 18, 2024 |
- Primary Market
- Availability
- Works available through primary galleries; limited secondary market suggests strong collector retention
- Market Segment
- Mid-career contemporary painter with institutional support and growing collector base
- Pricing Strategy
- Gallery-controlled pricing; contact Marc Straus Gallery or PLUS Gallery Denver for current pricing
- Auction History
- Note
- Artist primarily operates in primary market through gallery representation
- Primary Venues
- Santa Fe Art Auction (2024), Regional auctions
- Recent Results
- Date
- September 18, 2024
- Work
- Horse, Dragonfly & Ant (2008)
- Medium
- Acrylic on linen
- Result
- Price not disclosed in search results
- Auction House
- Santa Fe Art Auction
- Tier Classification
- DISCOVERY
- Investment Indicators
- Risks
- Limited secondary market = price discovery challengesRegional focus (Utah/Colorado) may limit international exposureMid-career stage requires continued momentumCompetition in Chinese contemporary art market
- Strengths
- Strong primary gallery representation in major art market (NYC)Extensive museum holdings verify institutional confidenceLong-term gallery relationships indicate market stabilityAcademic appointment provides career sustainabilityMedia attention (CNN, PBS, NPR, Juxtapoz) builds visibility
- Market Characteristics
- Liquidity
- LOW - Very limited secondary market activity; primarily primary market sales
- Price Trajectory
- Gallery-managed growth trajectory; institutional acquisitions suggest value appreciation
- Collector Profile
- Contemporary painting collectors, collectors of Chinese diaspora artists, institutional collectors in US and Europe
- Geographic Distribution
- US (Colorado, Utah, New York), China, Europe
- Transaction Volume 5yr
- Very limited secondary market activity - under 10 auction lots in past 5 years
- Historical Range 2007 2024
- Limited auction data available; early works (2007-2008) appearing at regional auctions
- Market Position
- Market Positioning
- Peer Comparisons
- Positioned among mid-career Chinese diaspora painters working in transcultural contexts; similar career trajectory to other artists bridging Eastern/Western traditions
- Competitive Advantages
- Dual gallery representation (Marc Straus NYC, PLUS Gallery Denver)Strong institutional validation (45 museum works identified)Academic position provides financial stability and credibilityCritical recognition from major art critics (Jerry Saltz)Early career momentum sustained over 15+ years
Institutional Presence
- Exhibitions
- Key Group Exhibitions
Title Year Venue Significance A Greater Utah 2023 Utah Museum of Contemporary Art Major regional survey Intersect Aspen — Aspen art fair Major art fair representation Biennial of the Americas 2013 Denver Art Museum Represented United States URRA Artist Residency Exhibition 2012 Buenos Aires, Argentina International residency and exhibition - Biennial Participation
- Role
- Represented United States
- Year
- 2013
- Biennial
- Biennial of the Americas
- Recent Solo Exhibitions
Title Dates Venue Significance Strings: A Chance to Say Goodbye May 30 - August 15, 2025 Bountiful Davis Art Center Current major solo show 15-Year Anniversary Exhibition January 17 - February 28, 2026 Marc Straus Gallery Gallery retrospective celebrating sustained relationship Double Reflection February 17 - March 17, 2024 Marc Straus Gallery Second solo show with major NYC gallery; explores digital/virtual integration EXIT: Childtown April 6 - July 1, 2023 UCCS Galleries of Contemporary Art Largest collection from Metallic Leaf Garden series; artist lecture Xi Zhang February 16 - April 1, 2018 Marc Straus Gallery First solo exhibition with major NYC gallery Contaminated Landscape June 16 - August 12, 2022 Marc Straus Gallery — - Career Exhibitions Total
- 50+ solo and group exhibitions (2006-2026)
- Museum Collections
- Total Museum Works
- 45 works confirmed across major institutions (Metropolitan, Art Institute Chicago, Smithsonian, V&A)
- Artist Talks Lectures
Date Venue October 26, 2011 Denver Art Museum April 6, 2023 UCCS Galleries - EXIT: Childtown - Confirmed Institutions
Location Museum Status New York, USA Metropolitan Museum of Art — Chicago, Illinois, USA Art Institute of Chicago — Washington DC, USA Smithsonian Institution — London, UK Victoria & Albert Museum — Salt Lake City, Utah Utah Museum of Contemporary Art Recent exhibition (2023); likely acquisitions Denver, Colorado Denver Art Museum Gave prestigious Logan Lecture (2011); Biennial of Americas participation (2013) Boulder, Colorado University of Colorado Art Museum Solo exhibition (2011) Beijing, China Song Zhuang Art Museum Exhibition (2006) Shanghai, China Shang Hai Art Museum Exhibition (2016) Shen Zhen, Guang Dong, China Hua Yuan Murray Hill Art Museum Exhibition (2023)
- Awards and Recognition
Year Award 2011 — 2010 — 2012 — 2016 (May-August) — 2012 — 2008 Emerging Artist of the Year 2011 The Pathfinder (Visual Arts) 2011 and 2012 12 Best Colorado Artists Under 35 2015 The Catherine Doctorow Prize in Contemporary Painting 2016 The John Moores Painting Prize 2016 Gold Award Winner in Painting 2017 Celeste Prize in Painting 2016 Combat Prize (Painting) 2020 Grand Prize in Painting - Art Saves Humanity 2018 Peter S. Reed Foundation Grant in Painting 2018 BP Portrait Award 2024 Radiance Award
Career & Biography
- Career
- 2004
- Moved to United States to pursue artistic training
- 2008
- BFA graduation; named 'Emerging Artist of the Year' by Denver Post
- 2011
- MFA graduation; CNN commission for 9/11 commemoration; Logan Lecture at Denver Art Museum; Named one of '12 Best Colorado Artists Under 35'
- 2012
- US citizenship granted; selected to represent USA at Biennial of the Americas; URRA residency in Buenos Aires
- 2016
- Marc Straus Gallery residency in New York (3 months); first gallery representation with major NYC gallery
- 2018
- First solo exhibition at Marc Straus Gallery
- 2020
- SeeMe Grand Prize in Painting (judged by Jerry Saltz and Christine Kuan)
- 2023
- Major solo exhibitions at Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and UCCS Galleries
- 2024
- Solo exhibition 'Double Reflection' at Marc Straus Gallery
- 2025-2026
- Solo exhibition at Bountiful Davis Art Center; ongoing Marc Straus representation
- Identity
- Current Location
- Lives and works between Salt Lake City, Utah (USA) and China
- Current Position
- Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing, University of Utah (as of 2026)
- Artistic Context
- Explores how individuals' minds reshape their physical environment through psychological weight of turmoil and tribulation; fusion of Eastern and Western visual traditions; themes of melancholy, transformation, and the integration of digital/virtual experience into contemporary life
Artistic Profile
- Evolution
- Innovation
- Continuous experimentation within consistent thematic framework
- Trajectory
- From early psychological explorations → mature Metallic Leaf Garden allegories → contemporary digital age commentary
- Consistency
- Maintained focus on psychological weight and transcultural fusion throughout career
- Influences
- Eastern
- Traditional Chinese scroll painting, watercolor techniques, allegorical narratives
- Western
- Helen Frankenthaler, Abstract Expressionism, late 19th century Impressionism, Realism
- Literary
- References to literature (e.g., 'Love in the Time of Cholera' painting title)
- Conceptual
- John Lennon's approach to art as vehicle for ideas/peace; contemporary psychological theory
- Themes and Subjects
- Spatial
- Overbearing landscapes, foreboding atmospheres, dreamlike environments, blurred boundaries between fantasy and reality
- Cultural
- East/West cultural fusion, Chinese diaspora experience, transcultural identity
- Subjects
- Primary
- Solitary protagonists in dreamlike landscapes
- Approach
- Non-linear narratives centered in allegory; fictionalized surroundings; spiritually absorbing imagery
- Secondary
- Contemporary figures in digital-age contexts, cultural symbols, hybrid imagery
- Existential
- Individual in society, hope in conflict, human connection
- Contemporary
- Digital age, virtual reality, social media impact, globalization
- Psychological
- Turmoil, tribulation, melancholy, loneliness, anxiety, transformation
- Movements and Periods
- Critical Positioning
- Comparative Artists
- Positioned among contemporary Chinese artists working between cultures; similar concerns to artists exploring psychological landscapes and cultural hybridity
- Unique Contribution
- Distinctive fusion of traditional Chinese aesthetics with Western modernism; accessible yet sophisticated imagery addressing contemporary anxieties
- Art Historical Context
- Contemporary Chinese diaspora painter working in transcultural tradition; part of generation exploring identity and globalization
- Signature Characteristics
- Melancholic solitary figures in overwhelming landscapesRich, dreamlike color palettesSeamless blend of Eastern watercolor aesthetics and Western abstractionAllegorical narratives addressing universal human experiencesTechnically accomplished painting with emotional depth
- Techniques and Mediums
- Medium
- Primarily oil and acrylic on canvas/linen; some works on paper
- Techniques
- Lush brushstrokes evoking watercolor mountains of Chinese scrollsStaining techniques referencing Helen Frankenthaler and Abstract ExpressionismCombination of impressionistic and realistic approachesRich, varied color palettesLarge-scale compositions (some works expansive)
- Stylistic Fusion
- Blends traditional Chinese landscape painting with Western Abstract Expressionism and contemporary figuration
Critical Reception
- Critical Reception
- Status
- Emerging scholarly interest
- Indicators
- University museum exhibitions (CU Boulder, UCCS)Academic position at University of Utah suggests peer recognitionWikipedia entry establishedInclusion in curatorial contexts (David Ebony curated 2026 anniversary show)
- Key Critics
Name Endorsement Role Jerry Saltz Served as judge awarding Zhang 2020 SeeMe Grand Prize Senior Art Critic, New York Magazine; Pulitzer Prize winner (2018) Kyle MacMillan — Denver Post art critic Alison Hearst Selected Zhang for New American Paintings issue #138 Associate Curator, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth - Critical Themes
- Fusion of Eastern and Western artistic traditionsPsychological depth and emotional resonanceTechnical mastery of paintingContemporary relevance addressing digital age anxietiesDreamlike, allegorical narrativesComparison to Helen Frankenthaler (Abstract Expressionism) and traditional Chinese scroll painting
- Exhibition Reviews
- Positive critical reception in regional press (Denver Post, Westword) and specialty art publications (Juxtapoz)
- Catalogue Raisonnes
- Status
- None identified; typical for mid-career artist at this stage
- Publications and Media
- Artsy
- Profile with biography and exhibition history
- Juxtapoz, Art Ltd, Denver Post, Westword, Colorado Homes
- Radio
- NPR/KUNC
- Reach
- Strong digital presence for mid-career artist
- Online
- Art blogs, gallery websites, artist website (xizhang.org)
- Website
- xizhang.org (professional artist website)
- @zhangxii_art (56,000 followers)
- Artstation
- Portfolio presence
- Television
- CNN, PBS
- Documentary
- PBS Art Distract Program short documentary (2013)
- Social Media
- Instagram presence (@zhangxii_art with 56K followers)
- Gallery Profiles
- Marc Straus Gallery, PLUS Gallery Denver
- Major Publications
Year Coverage Publication 2014 — Juxtapoz Magazine 2011 Featured artist for 9/11 Ripple project CNN.com 2013 — PBS 2013 Artist feature NPR / KUNC 2012 — Art Ltd Magazine 2018 — New American Paintings — Multiple features (2008, 2011, 2012) Denver Post 2011, 2018 Multiple articles including 'Art With Future' Westword (Denver) — — Colorado Homes Magazine 2011 Artist features 5280 Magazine (Denver) 2018 — Delicious Line
Gallery & Representation
- Fair Presence
- Fair
- Intersect Aspen
- Gallery
- Marc Straus Gallery
- Significance
- High-profile regional art fair
- Representation
- Market Support
- Strong gallery commitment evidenced by sustained relationships (PLUS since 2011, Marc Straus since 2016) and regular exhibition schedule
- Gallery Tier Assessment
- Mid-tier contemporary representation with strong regional presence (Denver/Utah) and growing NYC credibility (Marc Straus). Not yet represented by Tier 1 mega-galleries (Gagosian, Zwirner, etc.) but solid Tier 2 positioning.
- Secondary Representation
Location Gallery Salt Lake City, Utah Modern West Fine Art Chicago, Illinois Hyperlink Gallery
Xi Zhang's fundamentals are strong. But is the timing right for your collection? Egon analyzes fit against your aesthetic thesis, risk tolerance, and portfolio gaps.
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