Travellers

Though the subject of Zhang Enli works vary widely- sometimes groups of migrants, other times discarded detritus of daily life -they are all united under his keen observation of the otherwise forgotten. Zhang's origins in the northern province of Jilin are revealed through the way in which he chooses to depict not the cosmopolitan denizens of Shanghai where he is now based, but rather intruders to the sleek metropolis. At the core, Zhang's works express the bitter awareness of being ignored. Yet through his attention to these subjects, Zhang casts light into dark corners of the city, revealing striking vignettes that may otherwise be lost in the urban landscape.

In Travellers (Lot 511) three figures huddle around a fire against a night sky - the flatness of which heightens the sense of isolation. The darkness is broken only by the intense warmth of the flames, which streak upwards before breaking into cumulous plumes of smoke. This scene is intimate in the way all of the figures appear oblivious to the viewer's gaze; despite the closeness of their warm enclave, however, they also do not acknowledge one another.

The subjects are depicted with a matter-of-fact delivery. The figures provide juxtaposition to the social realist imagery from recent decades, which aimed to inspire action through dynamic composition; in contrast, Zhang's figures demand nothing more than simply exist. However, through Zhang's eyes their presence is legitimized and they are transformed from intruder to pedestrian.