Artist brings island-inspired show to Beijing

Nanjing-based artist Zhang Lei has been described by his friends and art collectors as a "watcher" of Jiangxinzhou, an island on the Yangtze River in East China's Jiangsu province.

Until recently, the 29-year-old artist, who studied at Nanjing University of the Arts, lived on the island. Many other artists of the area have also lived in the villages of Jiangxinzhou in search of tranquility. In addition, house rents are cheap and the public transport to Nanjing city is convenient.

Zhang, who lived there for a few years, is among the last artists to have moved out of the island because old buildings are being dismantled to convert Jiangxinzhou into an upscale destination.