Donkeys

Huang Zhou is well known for his paintings of figures, animals, and scenes from China's border regions, particularly the western province of Xinjiang. In 1948 Huang traveled to that area and observed local life, studying the movements of donkeys and developing a particular affinity for these animals. Just as the Chinese painter Xu Beihong (1895–1953) is known for his horse paintings, Huang Zhou became known for his lively depictions of donkeys (late 1970s–early 1980s).

In this composition, Huang employed a sophisticated freehand approach to ink and wash to depict the animals in a variety of positions and from different perspectives. Using minimal brushstrokes, Huang managed simultaneously to study the donkeys' forms and to capture the feeling of their movement and energy.

Huang Zhou was born in Hebei but moved to Shaanxi province during the Japanese invasion of the late 1930s. He studied painting under Zhao Wangyun (1906–1997) in Xian. In 1993 Huang co-founded the Yan Huang Art Museum, a venue for modern Chinese art exhibitions, in Beijing.