 he Shanghai government revoked the license for a Zhang Huan solo exhibition to be held at the Shanghai Art Museum. And so instead, with foreign guests coming in from around the world, a small show was held in Zhang's studio in Shanghai. And below, are images from his works, including the controversial Giant 1 and Giant 2 sculptures, which are believed to have led the government to cancel the show, which was supposed to open February 25. The sculptures are made from animal hides, and depict an unnamed group of deformed creatures, with human faces and bodies, made from cow hides. The two massive sculptures have already been purchased by the French art collector Francois Pinault, who plans to place them in a new museum he is building in Europe. Because of the cancellation, Pearl Lam, the Hong Kong collector and founder of Contrasts Gallery, led a group of about 30 people, including collectors, to Zhang's studio on February 26. They toured three giant, factory-like spaces, where workers were painting, sawing, sculpting and dabbing ashes on canvases. Ms. Lam also held a dinner in Zhang's honor last night. Below are portraits from the studio visit.
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