Zhang Dali

Zhang Dali is a Chinese artist and sculptor who specializes in graffiti art. He studied painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, and then moved to Italy where he delved into his trademark medium. Zhang Dali's art was unique in China, as there weren't many graffiti artists there in the 1990s. In the mid-90s, he became known for spray painting profiles of himself onto buildings in Beijing that were marked for demolition. Zhang Dali's work often makes cultural and political statements, and he has created many portraits for the purpose of documenting social history and cultural development. This is the case with "Chinese Offspring", one of Dali's most famous pieces that is comprised of 100 resin sculptures of migrant workers. Zhang Dali has the distinction of being featured on the cover of TIME Magazine. His art has been exhibited worldwide in galleries and museums including Beijing's Courtyard Gallery, Kiang Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia, Magda Danysz Gallery in Paris, and New York's Museum of Modern Art. (Artist website)