Zhan Guan

About

My work are mainly performance art and installation art.

I am an anthropological artist and writer based in Beijing and Fushun. I was born on the vast plains of northeastern China, and my work is deeply influenced by the region’s expansive natural geography, the post-industrial economic decline, and the conflict between my family’s shamanistic beliefs and the atheistic social environment. my artworks focus on my relationships with those around me and the impact of the environment on me.

In my work, I explored my reflections on female identity, intimate relationships, and the interplay between personal and social identity, shaped by the societal upheavals experienced by my generation born during China’s economic reform period.

My recent research focuses on the history of the women in my family over the past century. The women in my family come from diverse backgrounds, including old aristocratic families, middle-class households, and impoverished farming communities. I am researching the unique challenges they faced and how they shaped their lives amidst the turmoil and transformation of Chinese society over the last hundred years.

Please watch my performance here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCND6qdZ62jceTa7N_Ja3LJA