On Friday, May 30, the exhibition “Bitte Schuhe ausziehen” [Please Take Off Your Shoes] featuring works by Juewen Zhang opens at Goldstein Galerie. Zhang’s large-scale charcoal pieces, drawings, and paintings are marked by a unique form of naturalistic precision. Through intense observation of his surroundings, he creates works that not only depict reality but also reveal the depth of material and process. The artist draws attention to body parts and everyday objects that are often overlooked as minor details. In his art, even the crown of the head becomes a key element of identity. With subtle humor and conceptual clarity, he challenges the tradition of classical portraiture and breaks with the centuries-old elevation of the face as the primary marker of identity and individuality.
The title “Bitte Schuhe ausziehen” refers to Zhang’s deep passion for Vans—“the most beautiful shoes in the world,” as he puts it. Visitors to the exhibition will encounter the shoe in a special form: an oversized paper Vans shoe, roughly four meters long, quite literally steps into view.
Another central body of work consists of his Scheitelbilder (parting portraits). These charcoal drawings subvert the conventional understanding of portraiture; though faceless, they are highly individual representations of real people. Zhang manages to convey a profound intimacy with his subjects, even while avoiding the face. He shifts the gaze to an almost blind spot—one that people rarely perceive in themselves: the crown of the head. In Zhang’s work, this becomes the main motif of identity. Rendered in extreme close-up, it fills the entire surface of the paper. The image of densely flowing hair emerges through countless delicate erasure marks in a dark background, creating an almost photographic effect.
WHERE Goldstein Galerie, Schweizer Str. 84, Frankfurt am Main OPENING Friday, May 30, 2025, 7 PM DATES May 31 – July 12, 2025 OPENING HOURS Thu – Sat, 2 – 6 PM
On Friday, May 30, the exhibition “Bitte Schuhe ausziehen” [Please Take Off Your Shoes] featuring works by Juewen Zhang opens at Goldstein Galerie. Zhang’s large-scale charcoal pieces, drawings, and paintings are marked by a unique form of naturalistic precision. Through intense observation of his surroundings, he creates works that not only depict reality but also reveal the depth of material and process. The artist draws attention to body parts and everyday objects that are often overlooked as minor details. In his art, even the crown of the head becomes a key element of identity. With subtle humor and conceptual clarity, he challenges the tradition of classical portraiture and breaks with the centuries-old elevation of the face as the primary marker of identity and individuality.
The title “Bitte Schuhe ausziehen” refers to Zhang’s deep passion for Vans—“the most beautiful shoes in the world,” as he puts it. Visitors to the exhibition will encounter the shoe in a special form: an oversized paper Vans shoe, roughly four meters long, quite literally steps into view.
Another central body of work consists of his Scheitelbilder (parting portraits). These charcoal drawings subvert the conventional understanding of portraiture; though faceless, they are highly individual representations of real people. Zhang manages to convey a profound intimacy with his subjects, even while avoiding the face. He shifts the gaze to an almost blind spot—one that people rarely perceive in themselves: the crown of the head. In Zhang’s work, this becomes the main motif of identity. Rendered in extreme close-up, it fills the entire surface of the paper. The image of densely flowing hair emerges through countless delicate erasure marks in a dark background, creating an almost photographic effect.
WHERE Goldstein Galerie, Schweizer Str. 84, Frankfurt am Main
OPENING Friday, May 30, 2025, 7 PM
DATES May 31 – July 12, 2025
OPENING HOURS Thu – Sat, 2 – 6 PM