Chinese artist Zhang Xiaogang partners with L'Oréal on youth art program

Contemporary artist Zhang Xiaogang has teamed up with L'Oréal to launch a youth art initiative called "Essentiality of Beauty," timed with the opening of his retrospective exhibition at Beijing's Song Art Museum on Sept. 14.

Visitors view one of Zhang Xiaogang's artworks at Song Art Museum in Beijing on Sept. 14, 2025. [Photo courtesy of L'Oréal]

The program provides free student admission to Zhang's exhibition "The Reader, The Writer," which opened Sept. 13. The show is Zhang's largest retrospective, displaying nearly 400 works spanning 1975 to 2025 in various media. It explores relationships between historical periods, art history and individual experience through "reader" and "writer" perspectives.

L'Oréal organized an educational art event on Sept. 14 that provided free student admission to the exhibition and included an art salon, guided tours and a collaborative painting session with more than 100 participants, encouraging attendees to become "co-creators of beauty."

"'Essentiality of Beauty' is L'Oréal China's profound response to this era's interpretation of beauty," said Lan Zhenzhen, president of public affairs for L'Oréal North Asia and China. "We are committed to using diverse methods to help more young people engage with art, experience beauty and create it — truly making 'Essentiality of Beauty' known to all."

Lan said she was moved months earlier by Zhang's desire for "more young people to have free access to beauty, art and culture," prompting her team to develop the partnership. "This is why we see so many young people here today," she said. "After visiting the exhibition, 100 participants created art together. This isn't just a single moment of awe — it's a chain of outcomes from that initial inspiration."

Young people create art at Song Art Museum in Beijing on Sept. 14, 2025. [Photo courtesy of L'Oréal]

Zhang expressed mixed emotions at the event. "Seeing so many young people here, I suddenly feel a bit sorry, for we didn't have such opportunities when I was young," he reflected. "There were no exhibitions, few publications, hardly any access to great art. We could only catch glimpses of another world through books."

He hesitated to use the word "beauty," calling it "too lofty," but described how art gave him "a sense of transcendence over reality," revealing a more beautiful world beyond the immediate — one that equipped him with the confidence to face life's difficulties. "That was the first happiness art brought me," he said.

Song Art Museum Executive Curator Li Kefei called Zhang's exhibition a groundbreaking 50-year retrospective that highlights his pioneering role in Chinese contemporary art. She said the "Reader, Writer" theme reflects how 1980s Western culture influenced Zhang's work, while the show presents both art and historical narrative by weaving together personal and collective stories.

Lan said Zhang's path to global recognition through different historical periods reinforced L'Oréal's commitment to a "long-term approach" to beauty. "Beauty cannot be achieved through shortcuts or superficial efforts," she said. "I told the team: don't fear difficulties. Creating beauty doesn't show obvious results after one or two attempts, but as long as we persist, the process itself becomes an act of creating beauty."

The program is part of L'Oréal's global "Essentiality of Beauty" campaign for the company's 115th anniversary, which combines universal beauty concepts with Eastern philosophy. L'Oréal previously partnered with the National Museum of China this year on "Pathway to Essentiality of Beauty," featuring 32 artifacts presented through contemporary Chinese aesthetics in both physical exhibitions and online platforms.

Artist Zhang Xiaogang (second from left), L'Oréal executive Lan Zhenzhen (speaking) and other guests participate in a salon exploring beauty at Song Art Museum in Beijing, Sept. 14, 2025. [Photo courtesy of L'Oréal]

"We've undertaken many initiatives in China," Lan said, "from showcasing millennia of traditional culture at the National Museum to helping young people understand that 'today is the reflection of history.' We are continuously building upon and innovating from our foundations."

Lan recalled encountering Zhang's work two years ago in Kunming, Yunnan province, where an exhibition featured his personal letters and objects showing how different eras influenced his art. "It moved me deeply," she said. "Everyone carries memories through history, but Zhang translates them into art. At L'Oréal, we aim to inspire young people to transform their generational experiences into creativity. This is what we find particularly meaningful."