Born
1955
Origin
Kaifeng, Henan, China
School
Dafeng Tang — lineage of Zhang Daqian
Zhang /
Jinsheng
Contemporary Ink Artist
Studio Name
Xiaofeng Tang
Based in
Montréal, Canada
Active Since
1970
A second-generation disciple of the legendary Dafeng Tang school — the artistic lineage of Zhang Daqian and Zhang Shanzi — Zhang Jinsheng has dedicated over fifty years to the art of Chinese ink painting. Renowned for his expressive splash-ink tigers, he is widely acclaimed as the foremost tiger painter of the Central Plains.
Timeline
A lifetime dedicated to Eastern ink art and cultural exchange.
1970
Studied under Li Baoduo, joined Dafeng Tang lineage
1995
Solo exhibition: One Hundred Tigers, Zhengzhou
2003
Published monograph Zhang Jinsheng Paints Tigers
2004
Exhibition in Taipei; donated documents to National Palace Museum
2007
Shanghai exhibition attended by Zhang Xinqing, daughter of Zhang Daqian
2023
Opened personal art gallery in Shanghai, held a calligraphy and painting exhibition to wide acclaim from collectors and media
Gallery
About the Work
Zhang Jinsheng's art transcends mere representation — each tiger is a portrait of human emotion, rendered through bold, uninhibited brushwork.
Pioneering the splash-ink tiger — where raw energy meets classical tradition.
Inspired by Zhang Daqian's revolutionary splash-ink technique, Zhang Jinsheng developed his own expressive vocabulary. His tigers embody courage, solitude, and the full spectrum of human feeling, rendered with ink that flows as freely as emotion itself. Over decades of practice, he has used the tiger as a mirror to reflect the human condition — each work a silent dialogue with the viewer, transcending language and culture to reach the soul.
