Chuck Close, “Zhang Huan I,” 2008

Chuck Close has been painting portraits of his friends and art-world contemporaries since the beginning of his career, when he hung out with Richard Serra and Philip Glass way before fame hit any of them. In his latest show at Blum & Poe, Close is displaying a new generation of art heroes. On display here are artists like Kara Walker and Zhang Huan (shown above), the performance artist who probably defines contemporary Chinese art in the United States. [Blum & Poe]

Tags: Blum & Poe, Chuck Close, Zhang Huan