Artist Z.S. Liang and his wife stand in front of the exhibition with the curator, Emily Kapes.
A stylized self portrait of Z. S. Liang. Label reads, Born in Guagzhou, China, in 1953, Zhuo Shu Liang was raised in a family of artists. Becoming a professional painter was a natural direction, though he would discover his choice of subjects on the other side of the world. For the last 20 years, Liang has focused on painting native American history and narratives, based on his respect for indigenous cultures and his adopted country. From the James collection exemplifies the artist's technical skill and visual storytelling. The years of Liang's adolescence in China paralleled the cultural revolution (1966-1976). The art movement of socialist realism dominated China's creative output at that time with contrived, idealism and communist messaging. During the tumultuous early years when schools were shut down, Liang drew and painted on his own, including portraits of chairman Mao Zedong. He then studied at the Central academy of fine arts in Beijing and Guangzhou academy of fine arts. Growing up, he did not feel oppressed, but his perspective changed as China began to open to the West in the late 1970s. Liang was exposed to images of American culture, including abstract art- a profound difference from the realism he knew. His excitement to learn more about modern art lead him to the United States in 1982. After quickly learning English, he studied at Massachusetts college of art in Boston, and earned an MFA in painting at Boston University in 1989.

Emily Kapes, Z.S. Liang, and his wife Xin Li

A hall of paintings by Z.S. Liang
A label reading, After several years in Boston working as a portrait artist, Liang found success but remained unfulfilled creatively. In 2001, his artistic direction changed when he discovered a passion for native American historical subjects at the Plymouth plantation in Wampanoag Homesite in Massachusetts. Fascinated with history, he met people there who introduced him to their culture and became his first models. Throughout the ensuing decades of research and painting, Liang had made countless connections and relationships among native tribes, from the east coast to the Rocky mountains. He focused on interpreting 19th century planes history, often incorporating artifacts from the vast collection. Z. S. Liang's legacy will be one of the great storytellers in Western American art, a testament to his respect for native history and his adopted country of the United States. The artist, who loved America from his first day here, proudly became a US citizen in 2012. He lives in Southern California with his family
A hall of paintings by Z.S. Liang

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