China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Paintings display cultural intersections
Vivien Zhang’s first solo exhibition in China, Codescape, is intended to inspire discussion among the generation born in the 1990s, who’ve grown up amid rapid technological development.
The 27-year-old Beijing native, who was listed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 — Asia — the Arts 2017, left China after the fifth grade. She spent the rest of her childhood in Nairobi and Bangkok, before attending university in London, where she earned her master’s degree.
Codescape is on show at Beijing’s Long March Space through Oct 28.
Forbes describes Zhang’s oil paintings as “intricate”. They employ colorful patterns to convey her ideas about geographical fluidity, science, math and philosophy.
“I started to develop a love for painting in childhood,” she says.
“I didn’t have formal training as a kid. But I’ve never stopped painting since. If it stops bringing me joy, then I’ll focus on something else.”
She recalls struggling in her early days in London.
Initially, her studio there was a tiny, unheated room with a single, glazed window.
Zhang would often stare at an ultrasonic mouse-repellent device affixed to the ceiling. This allowed her thoughts to flow freely.
“That time reminded me that humans are strong and adaptable animals. We can endure a lot for the lives we seek,” she says.
She also had to grapple with cultural challenges in London.
Zhang says her works aren’t political. But she does aspire to challenge how people view art and culture, especially in their non-Western manifestations.
Her multicultural background not only endowed her with a unique perspective on her surroundings but also showed her that being an artist didn’t excuse her from her responsibilities as a global citizen and a person of Chinese origin.
“You face many challenges as a Chinese person abroad,” she says.
“My location at the intersection of cultures guides my creativity. And creativity is how I have a conversation with myself.”
She constantly seeks to engage traditional Chinese culture, since she has spent most of her life away from it. So, she builds on the emotional and epistemological roots of such traditional symbols as ancient bronze ware and temples.
“It’s normal and 100 percent OK that viewers from different cultures aren’t aware of the symbols I use,” she says.
“It makes me want to use them more, to tempt them to want to understand the cultures I come from.” living