Painting with fire

He has noticed that the majority of Westerners lack a holistic understanding of Chinese culture. Years of cultural separation make it natural that the West view Eastern culture as mysterious. Zhang is confident though that if promoted well, Chinese art will enjoy more popularity in the West.

When it comes to helping Western audiences understand Chinese paintings, Zhang says the key is to explain details such as which angle is best to appreciate each painting, describing the mood of the painting, and illustrating how the painter produced it.

"Even if the explanation is very simple, it could help the audience with their understanding."

Many people suggested that besides the exhibition Zhang could sell his works on eBay or at the flea market. "I told them that I do not paint for a living. This, coupled with my poor German, means I just play around with my art".

As early as 1984, without knowing that pyrography existed, Zhang started "playing". He began to work as a carpenter and once planned to make furniture for a friend who was getting married. The friend asked if he could make antique reproduction furniture, and Zhang suggested to burn some images into the wood.

Then he decorated every surface of the furniture with an electric iron, even the surface of each drawer. "It was nice. Since then, I have played with pyrography in my spare time."