kun zhang
education
2016 – 2018 master of fine arts, department of gemstone and jewellery design, Hochschule Trier, Idar-Oberstein, Germany
2012 – 2015 bachelor of fine arts, department of gemstone and jewellery design, Hochschule Trier, Idar-Oberstein, Germany
2011 – 2012 goldsmith course in jewellery, Hochschule Pforzheim, Pforzheim, Germany
exhibitions
since 2014
awards
2019 Perron-Kunst Prize (1st Förderpreis), sculpture, Stadt Frankenthal, Germany
2019 3rd Prize BKV for Young Applied Arts, Munich, Germany
2018 Marzee Graduate Prize, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
2016 Staatspreis & Förderpreis für das Kunsthandwerk, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
2016 selected for Talente, Internationale Handwerksmesse, Munich, Germany
about the work
Kun Zhang cuts extremely thin pins out of ebony wood. This type of wood is characterized by a high density, which makes it hard to model. Still, Zhang’s pieces are all handmade.
The abstract form of her objects makes its appearance minimalistic; life reduced to lines, like in the work by Brancusi. At the same time, the sharp pointed pin is warning us to be careful, because it reminds us of violence – much in the same way as in the beautiful artwork by Lucio Fontana.
When you wear the ebony pin, it shows all you can imagine a pin can represent. It refers to a Roman fibula holding your gown. It also refers to the closure, the back pin for fixing a brooch, turning the wearer into a jewel. And last but not least this pin is long and sharp! It is a needle, a weapon and a lance or spit for everyone coming too close.
© doreen timmers
galerie-door-kun-zhang-skim-2020
Kun Zhang, Skim, 2020, object / ear pins, pink ivory (wood), 85 x 74 x 51 mm, photo: courtesy of the artist, courtesy of Galerie Door – (sold)
galerie-door-kun-zhang-Cut-2020
Kun Zhang, Cut, 2020, object, pink ivory (wood), 119 x 25 x 11 mm | 53 x 32 x 51 mm, € 1660,– photo: courtesy of the artist, courtesy of Galerie Door
galerie-door-kun-zhang-conspiracy-2020
Kun Zhang, Conspiracy, 2020, object, ebony, pink ivory (wood), 104 x 39 x 34 mm, € 1660,– photo: courtesy of the artist, courtesy of Galerie Door
galerie-door-kun-zhang-defence-2020
Kun Zhang, Defence, 2020, object, pink ivory (wood), ebony, 69 x 34 x 21 mm, € 1660,– photo: courtesy of the artist, courtesy of Galerie Door
galerie-door-kun-zhang-segment-2020
Kun Zhang, Segment, 2020, object, ebony, 38 x 36 x 34 mm, € 1450,– photo: courtesy of the artist, courtesy of Galerie Door
galerie-door-kun-zhang-202012-a
Kun Zhang, Invasion, 2020, object, ebony, pink ivory (wood), 120 x 62 x 64 mm, € 2100,– photo: courtesy of the artist, courtesy of Galerie Door
galerie-door-kun-zhang-koerper-2020-photo-courtesy-artist
Kun Zhang, Torso, 2020, object, chacate preto, 53 x 35 x 39 mm, € 2100,– photo: courtesy of the artist, courtesy Galerie Door
galerie-door-kun-zhang-2018-dec1a
Kun Zhang, no title, 2018, object / pin, ebony, 374 x 8 x 2 mm / 278 x 8 x 4 mm, photo: Jekaterina Smirnova
galerie-door-kun-zhang-2018-dec2
Kun Zhang, no title, 2018, object / pin, ebony, 315 x 19 x 28 mm, photo: Jekaterina Smirnova
galerie-door-kun-zhang-ebony-elephant
Kun Zhang, n.t., 2018, object / ear pin, ebony, pink ivory, photo: Kun Zhang – (SOLD)
galerie-door-kun-zhang-ebony-big pin
Kun Zhang, n.t., 2018, object / pin, ebony, 505 x 1 x 1 mm , photo: Kun Zhang – (SOLD)
galerie-door-kun-zhang-ebony-pin
Kun Zhang, n.t., 2018, object / pin, ebony