Hua Hua Zhang

Pronouns: she/her

Hua Hua Zhang graduated from the Beijing Performing Arts Academy where she was trained as a performer in the ancient art of Chinese puppetry. From 1974 to 1995 she toured nationally and internationally with the China Puppet Arts Troupe of Beijing. She received many awards for excellence in performance and direction.  In 2000, she earned an MFA in Puppet Arts from University of Connecticut.

Hua Hua formed her nonprofit company — Hua Hua’s Visual Expressions — to continue to develop her visions of the performing arts and to develop an art education program to share Chinese culture and puppet art with American audiences and students. Since 2000, the company has mounted four productions which have toured throughout the United States: The Bell, a site mounted production using local artists, which premiered at The University of Connecticut; East Meets West, a family-oriented production which has been performed in numerous venues including The Smithsonian Discovery Theater in Washington, D.C., The Boston Children’s Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, and many schools and local theatres; and Butterfly Dreams, a mature audience production which premiered at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and has been performed at La Mama E.T.C. in New York and, in 2003, the show was presented at The Worldwide Festival of Puppet Theatre in Charleville-Mezieres, France.

Artist Statement

“I am committed to blending Asian and Western puppet art to explore dreams and questions of humanity through visual cross–cultural expression using theatrical performances, installations / exhibitions, and educational programs. I seek to honor the tradition of puppetry while at the same time pushing that tradition into the contemporary world in order to better connect with today’s audiences.
When students participate in the creative process, they begin to understand that Chinese Calligraphy is both a means of communication and a way to express a person’s artistic identity. Students will learn how to be appreciated and respected as individuals through these arts and broaden their vision to the world, connecting them to people everywhere. Art is an international language which we all share.” -Hua Hua Zhang Visual Impressions