Zhang Huan was born in China in 1965 and now works out of both New York and Shanghai.  Educated in China, he received a BA from He Nan University in Kai Feng, and a MA from Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.  While best known as a performance artist with a focus of physical and mental endurance, Zhang Huan is versatile as a photographer, painter, and sculptor.  Zhang Huan’s performance frequently involves the use of his own body, frequently nude, presenting images of direct social commentary on Chinese culture, such as forced abortions after the first child or the depiction of the history and spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism.