Nihou Zhang’s real name is Zhang Xihe, born in 1942 in Junxian County, Henan Province. It is famous at home and abroad for its specialization in clay monkey creation. Mr. Nihou Zhang studied under Mr. Zhang Daoyi, a famous folk craft theory researcher and doctoral supervisor. He also received guidance from famous calligraphers, painters, and art critics such as Wu Zuoren, Zhang Ding, Huang Yongyu, Li Cunsong, Sun Changlin, Ni Baocheng, and Li Yanzu.
Mr. Zhang, a famous calligrapher, painter, poet, master of Chinese arts and crafts, ceramic artist, and clay monkey, is currently the vice president of the Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Academy and the vice president of the China ATV Painting and Calligraphy Academy. He is a member of the Chinese Folk Literature and Artists Association, vice president of the Henan Provincial Folk Art Society, a member of the Henan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and vice chairman of the Junxian County CPPCC.
From 1985 to 2000, he went to the United States twice to give lectures and perform folk art performances. He was hired as a visiting professor by the Temple Academy of Fine Arts in the United States. The Los Angeles 18 TV station filmed the feature film "Mud Monkey Zhang in America" ??for him. ; In 1994, he went to Singapore to give lectures and hold a personal calligraphy and painting exhibition; in 1995, he went to Malaysia to hold the Clay Monkey Zhang Calligraphy Spring Festival Exhibition; in 1997, he went to Spain to perform folk art performances; in 1998, he went to Myanmar to give lectures and conduct folk art inspections.
His clay monkey works have been included in the second volume of national junior high school art textbooks. In recent years, he has published a series of books "Clay Monkey Zhang's Clay Kneading Techniques for Animals" (a set of five books), "Clay Monkey Zhang Taught Me to Knead Animals" Books such as "Clay Monkey" and "Collection of Poems by Mu Monkey Zhang". A large number of clay monkey, calligraphy and painting and ceramic works were published in "People's Daily", "People's Pictorial", "China Pictorial", "China Culture News", "People's Political Consultative Conference", Malaysia's "Singzhou Daily", Hong Kong's "Oriental Daily", Published by nearly a hundred newspapers and periodicals including "World Daily", "Henan Daily", "Xinjiang Daily", and "Heilongjiang Daily" in the United States. In 1993, Henan Province established the "Nihou Zhang Art Research Association" and published the "Nihou Zhang Art Newspaper". The TV special film "Mud Monkey Zhang" has been broadcast on TV stations in various provinces across the country.
In 1995, Malaysia established the "Nihou Zhang Art Research Center" and published the "Nihou Zhang Hard-pen Calligraphy Art Collection". In 2001, the clay sculpture "Thousand Monkey Formation" won the Guinness World Prize in Shanghai. The clay sculpture "Hundred Monkeys" was collected by the National Art Museum of China and won the gold medal at the 4th China Arts and Crafts Tourism Collectibles Expo. Nihou Zhang has been invited to give lectures at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts, Nanjing University, Southeast University and other institutions of higher learning.
He also performed folk clay sculpture performances at the Spring Festival Galas in six provinces of Central and South China and Heilongjiang Province. UNESCO awarded him the title of "First-Class Arts and Crafts Artist"; the China National People's Association awarded him the title of "Chinese Folk Arts and Crafts Artist" "Master" title; Henan Provincial People's Association for Democracy awarded him the title of "Henan Ten Outstanding Folk Art Masters". He has been awarded "Top-notch Professional and Technical Talents" by the city and county, won the National Self-taught Talent Award, and won the provincial and municipal May 1st Labor Medal and Model Worker.
Nihou Zhang Art Family Exhibition Hall was officially opened to the public in June 2002, with an exhibition area of ??500 square meters and more than 3,000 works on display