Container is a collection of paintings by Chinese artist Zhang Enli, covering the years 2005 to 2008. The paintings depict the familiar and overlooked, everyday objects from the artist's immediate surroundings in China, often from unusual viewpoints or focusing on seemingly insignificant details. Zhang Enli bases his paintings on simple objects that he is instinctively drawn to, for example a piece of string, a hose, or even a marble ball from the floor of his studio, often magnifying his subjects until a specific fragment of a scene is depicted, as if enlarged through the viewfinder of a camera. Working in oils, Zhang Enli’s art brings to mind traditional Chinese ink painting, where every brushstroke carries significance. Zhang Enli was born in a provincial town in Jilin Province in 1965; he now lives and works in Shanghai.   Published by Steidl in 2008. New and still in shrink wrap.