Since Zhang has ever got strictly trained in the Central Academy of Arts and Design, he has the accomplishment of both sculpting and handicrafts making. Thanks to his strong ability of sculpting and fine art creating techniques, he was selected to be a teacher in the Academy after his graduation, specializing at painting. After years of practical hard working and exchanging ideas with artists around the world, Mr. Zhang has yielded substantial results in his landscape painting.

I first came to appreciate Mr. Zhang Dichen's artworks more than 30 years ago when I was a student at Fudan University in Shanghai.  What first brought his name to my attention was Mr. Zhang's Ethnic Dolls (民族娃娃) series.  These paintings were much published in popular magazines of the day.  The ethnic dolls paintings depicted women in stylized ethnic costume with disproportionately large heads and no feet (and often no arms or hands). They all had distinctive extra-large oval solid black eyes with a tiny point of white in each.  

Mr. Zhang Dichen has been fond of painting since his childhood.  The power of understanding and hard work makes his works not only have the characteristics of the traditional Chinese painting, but also not adhere to tried methods, with particular attention to innovative research and exploration. His paintings show an interesting new approach, being lucid, lively and pithy, and having a style of his own.

It was just a few years ago that I heard that the eminent Chinese painter, Mr. Dichen Zhang had moved to our Niagara Region in Canada, home to the world famous Niagara Falls.  I immediately realized that his coming was to our great fortune because his presence here would surely help promote the cultural exchange between Canada and China.  I soon thereafter got in touch with his family and went to see his Gallery.

In the Chinese painting and calligraphic circle today, one may well say that flowers of all sorts are blooming in a riot of colours. As the capital of a few dynasties, Beijing is a remarkable place producing outstanding people and bright stars. Of them, there is a person with great attainments. He is Mr. Zhang Dichen,

I used to visit Qingming Bridge in Wuxi, and underneath it lies a section of the eternal canal.  Water slowly flows like the solidified history with it shining leisurely.  Red walls and green tiles on two banks are disorderly, and are reflected on the listless surface of the water, just like the graduation of time. These situations remind me of Mr. Zhang Dichen’s series of ink bush.