Artist in Focus | DONNA ZHANG 
Starting with an ecological trip to Tibet in 1999, Donna Zhang came into close contact with the country’s indigenous peoples. She was deeply moved by the immediacy and warmth of her interactions, which stood in marked contrast to the reservedness of many urban cultures. Her experiences in Tibet inspired Donna’s work in portraiture, which reflects better than words ever could the profound beauty and resilience she sees in the faces of her subjects. As Donna says simply, “Their clothes are not clean, but their hearts are pure.”
New paintings (Nov 2020)
SOLD
“Thoughtful”
36 x 48 – oil
$9750 Unframed
SOLD
“The Snow Melt”
24 x 36 – oil
$6050 Unframed (thick canvas wrap)
[Video: 5 min.] Much preparation is needed before a brush touches the canvas. The biggest challenge for Donna was enduring severe altitude sickness on the high Tibetan plateau.
SOLD
“Eldest Daughter”
24 x 24 – oil
$4500 Unframed
SOLD
“Minding the Herd”
26 x 48 – oil
$7200 Unframed
All of my sketches start with a photo. But I try not to just copy the photo. Instead, I try to remember the feelings I had, and my interactions with the people at the time. Those emotions are most important to me.
SOLD
“Between Mountain Peaks”
18 x 36 – oil
$4920 (thick canvas wrap)
With all of my paintings, the most difficult part, in terms of time and energy, is the expression of the eyes, especially the childrens’. The gaze must be keen yet inscrutable. If the expressions are not well-drawn, then the painting is a failure.
SOLD
“Delightful Discovery”
22 x 28 – oil
$4700 Unframed
SOLD
“A Pause Between Play”
24 x 36 – oil
$6050 (thick canvas wrap)
Altitude sickness from travelling to Tibet is very severe for me. Even after a week, once you are acclimated and out on the plateau, effects are still felt. There are headaches, swelling of the face, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite, but worst of all: hallucinations.
SOLD
“Winter Hat”
18 x 24 – oil
$3650 Unframed
SOLD
“Holding Her Blanket”
18 x 18 – oil
$2780 Unframed
SOLD
“Girl From Nepal”
20 x 24 – oil
$4030 Unframed
