Qionghui Zou

An internationally celebrated Beijing-based painter and professor, Zou has been heavily influenced by the work of the Young British Artists, as well as traditional Chinese themes.  In a recent series of paintings,  she has taken the popular jade cicada and reimagined them in a contemporary context through the use of non-traditional materials like acrylics and oils. Painting and heating multiple layers, the sculptured surfaces of Zou’s paintings feature a dynamic play between areas of strong light and shadow with smooth areas juxtaposed with textured layers, all resulting in a contemplative quality that speaks to the cycles of life.