Meet the artist

Zhang Wenhai

Zhang Wenhai is a Chinese-Belgian artist born in 1981 in Shanghai and based in Brussels for over twenty years. His artistic practice blends traditional Chinese calligraphy with contemporary techniques, forming a unique visual language rooted in both Eastern heritage and Western influences.

He studied drawing and painting at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and later pursued engraving and printmaking at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. This dual education shaped a rich and expressive style where broken lines, full moons, torn kites, and paper planes often appear—evocative symbols of nostalgia, displacement, and his lived experience in Belgium.

In addition to his artistic work, Zhang Wenhai teaches Chinese painting and calligraphy in various institutions across Belgium. His works have been exhibited at venues such as the China Cultural Center in Brussels and in group exhibitions dedicated to contemporary Chinese art.