Chang Lei

Chang Lei is a Chinese artist from Jinan, China. Chang currently lives and works in Toronto, Canada. His artistic practice includes painting, photography, and performance art.

Chang Lei’s artworks focus on the relations between self individual consciousness and historical society as well as the juxtaposition between modern thinking and traditional culture. Within Chang’s paintings the artist depicts traditional Chinese cultural figures, objects and sites including Terracotta Warriors, Chinese opera figures and deities, Chinese ceramics, and iconic landscapes.

Chang’s paintings reveal and critically analyze the history of China, depicting both the positive and negative sides of the countries past. He hopes his paintings evoke a feeling that aims to expose ‘the truth’ about China’s past and present. Chang’s paintings challenge historical tradition, searching for the beauty of truth. Within Chang’s paintings the artist renders his work with somber background tones as well as meticulous details in the figures. This juxtaposition in his painting styles reveals the dark sides of mankind, disclosing a tainted beauty and suggesting what is hidden behind the surface level of culture.

Chang’s artworks have been exhibited in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Singapore, Switzerland, China, and many other countries. Chang’s artworks reside in many public art institutions and personal collections. A few notable collections include: American InterEthnic InterFaith Leadership Conference, Beijing Xinrui Art, Beijing Taihe Art Space, Shandong Provincial Art Museum, Shandong Yuanhong Art Center, and Montreal Art Museum patron.

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