Currently on display at Art Channel, Zhang Wuyun's first exhibition of works show not only a mastery of technique, but also a melancholic sensitivity towards time and its slow erosion youth. In this interview, Zhang talks about growing up as an artist in China, and where he sees the contemporary art scene heading in the future.

When did you decide you would become an artist?

I began painting at the age of two. My father bought me a sketchbook with sketches by Xu Beihong. My parents tell me that even at that time, I paid particular attention to the female form, but they didn't know why. There was no particular reason why my father bought the book, nor any particular reason, that they could see, why I liked it so much. I started drawing in bed with red and blue pencils, and later started drawing pictures on the ground with a piece of stone chalk that my grandfather used in his tailoring business. As I grew taller, I started to draw on the ground using small tree branches. They nicknamed my "Little Xu" because I was particularly good at drawing horses. After I took a painting class in in junior school, I decided I wanted to go to the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (the former feeder middle school for the Central Academy of Fine Arts). If you ask me why I decided to learn to draw, I would have to answer that God gave me an opportunity to choose. I also am fond of music, but I gradually learned where my destiny lay.

How did your family affect your decision to become an artist?

There are no painters in my family. My strong points and shortcomings both come from my parents. I had no choice in the matter. They taught me from a young age to be strong. As a result I always kept quiet about my own suffering. I never told them anything about it.

What do you think of contemporary art in China? Where do you think it will go?

The diversity of the art today is a good thing. China is a developing country, and as such it's inevitable that some people will copy others' works, and create other types of unwholesome art. I don't have the strength to solve these problems alone, but I can exist as an alternative in this period of Rococo. Being a true artist means not thinking about money or material things. It's not about being greedy. It's about pursuing the truth, the spirit of art, all the time. This is a contribution to all of mankind.

Check out Zhang Wuyun's works at Art Channel throughout August.