Z.S. Liang “From Stories to Studies”

For more than a decade, Z.S. Liang has worked closely with Legacy Gallery, but this exhibition marks the first time he is presenting his collection of color studies. These works, some newly painted and others revisited over the years, provide a rare glimpse into the artist’s process and the foundation of his larger canvases.

Each painting carries a story that unfolds through composition, value, and color. These studies are not mere preliminaries; they are complete works that reveal Liang’s pursuit of visual storytelling. In Solicitation for Leadership, for instance, a circle of young Blackfeet men look to a seasoned warrior for guidance, the placement of the white tipi anchoring the scene and heightening the leader’s importance. In Trading with the Blackfeet, dynamic contrasts of standing, kneeling, and squatting figures build an energetic rhythm. And in Looking Beyond the Big Eagle Mountains, the solitary form of a chief set against an expansive range emphasizes both scale and strength.

At the core of Liang’s art is the desire to tell stories that touch the heart without words. His dedication to research—immersing himself in books, museums, and conversations with Native friends and scholars—forms the bedrock of each composition. He often notes that a single sentence from an oral history can spark the vision for an entire canvas. A work like Sitting’s Kindness demonstrates this ability to transform the smallest fragment of a story into a painting that resonates with humanity and depth.

Note: Several paintings in this exhibition are marked with two dates. Liang initially completed them as compositional and color studies—stripped down to essential forms and values. Years later, he returned to these canvases, refining them with greater detail, nuance, and storytelling. The result is a unique layering of time and vision: the immediacy of the first conception fused with the maturity of his later hand.

The opening night for this show will take place at our Scottsdale Gallery, November 20th.

Please contact us at (480) 945-1113 with any questions!