Zhang Xiaodong is a contemporary Chinese artist and recognised cultural heritage inheritor, internationally known for his mastery of Dragon Scale Binding, a rare and intricate book art form that dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Since beginning his study of bookbinding in 2007, Zhang has developed a distinctive practice that bridges traditional craftsmanship with contemporary conceptual approaches. In 2010, he revitalised the technique through his Diamond Sutra project, reintroducing this historic technique to the contemporary art world.
Zhang’s works reimagine the book as both an object of visual contemplation and a sculptural form. He overlaps layers of custom-dyed Chinese Xuan paper, which are hand-bound using the Dragon Scale technique. Once assembled, the book is rolled and rested, allowing the pages to fan upward and fix at a controlled angle, transforming the work into a dense, painterly surface with architectural and spatial presence. This process merges calligraphic tradition, material experimentation and an embodied understanding of time, gesture and rhythm.
In 2025, he was selected as a Finalist for the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize, with his work included in the official exhibition in Madrid. That same year, he was invited as a featured artist for the China Pavilion at London Craft Week.
Zhang’s works are held in prominent private Asian and European collections, as well as by private organisations across Asia. He has also worked with global luxury brands including Givenchy and La Mer, both of which featured the Dragon Scale Binding technique as the centrepiece of their Chinese New Year campaigns in 2024.