From Chengdu in London: an artistic discovery trip
Xieni ZhouThe artistic journey is that of evolution, shaped by various experiences through different cultures and disciplines. Having grown up in Chengdu, she continued a undergraduate diploma in oil painting in a well -established university before entering the world of publishing as an editor for a local artistic press. This role exposed it to a wide range of artistic votes and perfected its ability to engage with visual accounts. However, her passion for creation rather than conservation finally led her to London, where she deepened her artistic practice through formal studies.
Its move to the United Kingdom marked a turning point. She first studied drawing at Camberwell College of Arts before refining her accent on illustration at the Royal College of Art. This transition has widened its artistic vocabulary, encouraging it to experiment with new techniques and perspectives. Surrounded by the dynamic artistic scene of London, Zhou found inspiration in the vast museums, galleries and archives of the city, which provided him with an extended understanding of artistic traditions and contemporary visual speeches.
The history of Zhou in Fine Arts and the publication promote a unique approach to his work – one which is conceptual but deeply listening to the power of narration. She continues to continue to push the limits of drawing, treating it not only as a means of representation but as an evolving dialogue between material, time and perception. This exploration of transformation and impermanence has become a decisive element of its artistic voice.
Xieni Zhou: mapping the fleeting and forgetting
At the heart of Zhou's work is an acute sensitivity to time, change and neglected details of the world around him. She is particularly attracted by decomposition and regeneration cycles, using her art to document fragile moments before disappearing. Thanks to a time -based drawing practice, it examines how changes in the environment shape the human perception of time and space, revealing the subtle imprints left by transient phenomena.
Its compositions often focus on what is ephemeral: the shadows of flowering, the traces of disappearance and the unnoticed remains of everyday life. Rather than creating fixed representations, it allows these elements to leave their own marks in its work, strengthening the idea that nothing remains static. This approach aligns with his conviction that perception is not passive but a continuous interaction between the Self and the surrounding world.
Informed by theoretical influences, in particular the writings of the anthropologist Tim Ingold, Zhou explores the relationship between material and the process. Ingold's point of view according to which creation is not an act of imposing a form on inert matter but rather a continuous negotiation with the material world resonates deeply with its practice. By embracing the unpredictability of its mediums, it captures the fluid and evolutionary nature of the existence itself, making each room an extension of the environment in which it is designed.
The studio as a sanctuary of thought and creation
Zhou's workspace is an intimate extension of its artistic process. Unlike artists who need expansive studios, she thrives in a smaller and carefully organized environment. A well -lit room in his house serves as a creative refuge, filled with sketches, notes and visual fragments that trigger new ideas. A spacious table offers space for drawing and collage, while the walls covered with drafts and reference images surround it with a constant flow of inspiration.
Although it rarely has trouble with distractions once immersed in the act of creation, the challenge often lies in the start of a new room. To overcome this, she turns to her archives of collected fragments – reading notes, images of images and entrances to sketch book. These elements serve as catalysts, helping him to move to a creative flow. By engaging with past observations, it establishes a feeling of continuity, allowing its ideas to evolve in an organic way.
The question of the medium is another full aspect of its practice. It carefully selects materials depending on the themes it explores, whether by drawing, cutting paper or collage. His fascination for physical traces – the marks left by movement and time – guides his choices. The fragility of the paper, the superposition of the images and the interaction of the gain and the loss all contribute to its continuous exploration of the transformation. Recently, it was attracted to images and sound in motion, referring to future extensions of its artistic language.
Xieni Zhou: draw the unfinished and uncertain
One of the most important inspirations of Zhou came from an unfinished painting from JMW Turner to Tate Britain. In the middle of a collection of meticulously detailed works, this piece stood out for its ambiguity – a misty mass of color where the objects dissolved in light and shadow. The indefinite nature of painting sounded deeply with it, strengthening its own fascination for uncertain and incomplete.
This meeting deeply influenced her series by watching the ground, where she explores the transformation of the urban soil. In these works, it begins with structured and linear frameworks which gradually give way to intertwined organic models. The process reflects the way in which the soil accumulates and moves over time, embodying both absence and renewal. By intentionally leaving the elements unfinished, she invites the spectator to engage with work as a life process rather than a fixed image.
His current project, Soil Remedy, continues this exploration through a broader conceptual objective. Originally presented as an illustrated publication for its graduate diploma, the project examines the spiritual absence of soil in anthropocene, resulting from folklore on soil consumption as a healing practice. Zhou plans to develop this body of work beyond its original format, potentially incorporating drawing and movement images to examine more stories in layers encrusted in the earth under us.
