Zhou Brothers

Shan Zuo Zhou and Da Huang Zhou

Chinese-American

2015 (from Water Lily Pond of Life series)

Oil on canvas

About the artists

The Zhou Brothers, Shan Zuo born 1952 and Da Huang born 1957, are renowned for their unique collaborative work process which has spanned over 40 years and includes paintings, performances and sculptures. The Brothers discovered this distinguishing collaboration after working on their first painting together in 1973, titled “The Wave.” 

In 1973, Da Huang and Shan Zuo created their first collaborative work, an oil seascape depicting a small sailboat drifting away by the sea waves. This painting titled The Wave, was the beginning of a long and then unknown journey. For the next forty-two years, their signature collaborative process would unfold and mature into an international art phenomenon unifying the dichotomies of East and West, control and improvisation, as well as spirit and life. 

In 1978, during the end of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the Zhou Brothers set out to create their first series titled Water Lily, consisting of one hundred unique works. In this series, they fused Eastern painting with Western modernist abstraction while combining oil and water painting techniques. In this harmonious unity, the Zhou Brothers grounded themselves into an ambitious trajectory that would take them across the globe. 

Forty-two years after their first collaboration and numerous painting series, the Zhou Brothers reflect on their initial Water Lily series and infuse a new life into a legendary theme close to their heart. The Water Lily Pond of Life painting series brings them back to where it all began; the Zhou Brothers converge again to celebrate their “Feeling is Liberty” philosophy of art and life. Conquering the creative moment with every distinctive stroke, The Water Lily Pond of Life points to a new dichotomy of unity and balance bridging their past with their present.