Zeng Chuanxing was born in 1974 in Longchang County, Sichuan Province. He graduated from the Central University of Nationalities in 1998. It is through his ongoing series Paperbrides that Zeng has gained prominence among Western art collectors. In these exquisitely rendered, yet unquestionably realist works, the artist comments on the fragility and uncertainty of marriage for the modern Chinese woman.  Having studied periodically in Germany, Zeng has found his roots in classical realism – a means through which he so thoroughly and so delicately expresses his feelings on society, individuals and the march towards modernity.  Like most artist working in China today, his pieces are heavily influenced by the changes taking place in the country today and are dominated by a search for an understanding of the effects of the Cultural Revolution on present-day culture. His Paperbrides, depicted in either white or red—red being the traditional colour of the Chinese bride and white that of the West—are metaphoric question marks for China’s own identity, which lies somewhere in between that of a communist and capitalist state, even as they explore the more rooted concept of the fragility and uncertainty of marriage in a modern context. As one critic notes, ‘Zeng favours a more classical tradition of painting for its unique ability to not only clearly express his own feelings, but almost more importantly, for its ability to serve as a window to understanding other people’s feelings, thoughts, and emotions.’ His works are both technically and aesthetically masterpieces of composition and style, emphasizing a contemporary return to the finest traditions of both Western and Eastern fine art.