XI ZHANG, painting & mixed media

I create paintings that explore the way individuals’ minds reshape their physical environment. My investigation incorporates a variety of individual psychological realms, depicting them in fictionalized surroundings that confuse the relationship between perception and reality. I utilize a mixture of expressionist and abstract aesthetics in a subtle, theatrical way to construct the characters’ environments, mirroring their internal thoughts, struggles, personality, and problems. With this approach, I hope to present an opportunity to let the viewers reflect on their own struggles through a safe and stimulating painting format, ultimately showing them that they are not alone with these issues.

Currently, there seems to be ongoing reports of conflict and tragedy. As an image maker, how can I reduce such conflicts? I do not want to simply lecture or express my anger toward institutions or people who instigate these tragedies. I aim to make aesthetically stimulating paintings that pull people in and hold them so as to embody the message; the Metallic leaf Garden series (shown here) attempts to provoke a viewer’s compassion - one of the ways to reduce conflict is to increase empathy.