Biography
Rising photography talent Leslie Zhang has found acclaim at major Chinese magazine titles including Harper’s Bazaar China, GQ China, Marie Claire China and Grazia China for his bold yet romantic portrayal of contemporary Chinese culture. Finding a niche in the Chinese fashion photography landscape, Zhang approaches the art as a means to celebrate the beauty of everyday life and childhood memories, a style which brought him national attention. He is considered by some a “leading figure of his generation.”
Working both digitally and in analogue, Zhang captures faces, banal street typography and references Mando- and Canto-pop music videos as well as Chinese iconography of the late 20th and early 21st century. In 2018, Zhang shot the cover for Nylon China’s April issue, which also featured Zhang’s photography series titled “Little Flexes,” that follows a group of teenage gymnasts in China. In the same year, Zhang captured Shanghai’s local clubbing scene for Dazed. Zhang’s magazine work also included a collaboration with Dazed’s creative director Robbie Spencer and designer Simone Rocha for issue 18 of A Magazine Curated By.
For fronting a new wave of photography in mainland China, Zhang was recognised by the British Fashion Council for the British Fashion Awards as part of its "New Wave: Creatives" list of 100 fashion industry figures in 2018.