Zhou Brothers (周氏兄弟) are Chinese-American contemporary artists: ShanZuo and DaHuang Zhou. ShanZuo was born in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China in 1952 and DaHuang was born in Wuming, Guangxi Province, China in 1957. Both were educated and trained in China, and together started their art career in 1973, and have been working collaboratively ever since. The Zhou Brothers moved to the United States in 1986 after having been at the cutting edge of the contemporary art movement in China in the 70’s and 80's. The style of the Zhou Brothers’ work is often very abstract, and has roots in the images of Chinese cave paintings. Later in their career, they incorporated more Western influences into their work. The Zhou Brothers have gained various awards and honors in their career in the United States and abroad.
Early life
The Zhou Brothers were born into a family of scholars and educators. Early in his life, ShanZuo traveled with his father, a poet, and began to study poetry and Chinese history. They grew up in the early years of the People’s Republic of China and Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. Because of the early political movements of the People’s Republic, the brothers’ father was forced to leave their family and his position as headmaster of a college, and the brothers were left in the care of their grandmother. Shan Zuo studied Chinese literature and painting, while DaHuang studied painting and music with his grandmother. In 1964, the family returned to Ning Ming, Guangxi Province, and the Zhou Brothers were able to see the cliff paintings in Fa Shan. The images there would have a great influence on their work.
The Cultural Revolution in 1966 caused significant upheaval, and the Zhou Brothers’ family suffered. In 1968, ShanZuo separated from the family for a period of time to explore China on his own, and the entire family was exiled to the Da Ming Shan mountain range. During this time, both of the brothers were producing art, mostly experiments and sketches that would inform later collaborative pieces. The brothers reunited in 1973 and began their work as collaborative artists.
Art and life in China
The Zhou Brothers worked together on their art in China from 1973-1986. Their first piece together, "The Wave," is still very important to the brothers, not just as their first image together, but as something of a self-portrait from the period. During this period, the brothers pursued other projects besides their art together. ShanZuo was a set designer for the local opera in Nanning, and DaHuang became a set painter for the Guangxi Dance Troupe. Both of these positions allowed the brothers slightly freer movement in China during the last years of the Cultural Revolution. In 1974, ShanZuo was hired as a director for a cavern excavation near Nanning, and in 1975 DaHuang graduated from high school. In 1976, the Cultural Revolution ended upon the death of Mao and the Zhou Brothers' work and lives took a huge leap forward. DaHuang was able to begin work for the National College of Guangxi as an Art Director in designing museum exhibits. "The Brothers suffered great difficulties, hardships, and separations in early years, learning through adversity to pursue freedom; gathering confidence to use their art for human communication, based in painful life experience, which brought about new thinking. Their rehabilitation of the ancient art language of Chinese culture, supplemented by modern techniques enabled them to make a fresh contribution to late century world art."
In 1977, they toured with an art group and the brothers began an in-depth study of folk art in different parts of the country. They wrote a series of articles entitled “A Study of Folk Art” that were published in several newspapers and art magazines. In 1978, the Zhou Brothers were accepted into the Shanghai Drama Institute where they studied Western painting and modern art.