Hao Zhang

My name is Hao Zhang. I am an independent illustrator, photographer and calligrapher from China. Currently I am living in London and illustration is my major. For the past fifteen years my master — Zhang (水墨山人) — and I devoted ourselves to the study of traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting. After this training, I began working in the field of illustration, and have developed my practice over time.

At the same time as developing my illustration practice I also determined my sexual orientation. I am gay, and I am fighting for more benefits and rights for vulnerable groups such as gay people, through my many series' of works, using illustration as a way to communicate my ideas to an audience. I hope to express my enthusiasm for this goal to as wide a range of audiences as possible, through my artworks.

The title of this series of works is: Succuba, Knight and Monsterflower

The project consists of a visual discussion (through illustrations), of my emerging sense of self-identity, and the process of my coming to acceptance of the female character that I hide in my dual personality. I am also attempting to express some of the struggles I have experienced around my sexual orientation. This project is adapted from my own fictional novel which is titled “A Girl Who Fell in Love With a Monsterflower”. The novel includes four characters. They are the Monsterflower, Succuba, Knight and Zombie.

My sense of the words 'sexual orientation' involves a mixture of excitement and fear. It’s as energetic as psychedelic electronic dance music, but at the same time it also makes me feel confused and anxious. The word 'homosexuality' gives me a sense of 'unrealness'.

I am constantly thinking about the influence of factors which have influenced my feelings but being gay, such as my upbringing, my background, national policies in China, etc. This involves a process of revisiting my changes, from a more mature perspective, not just physically, but also mentally and psychologically.