With a background in printmaking, illustration, and commercial design, artist Yi Zhu has honed his practice against the backdrop of profound social and economic changes in his native China. It is within this context that he has created a distinctive visual language and conceptual approach. Seeking to express the myriad emotions that define the interrelationship between humans, species, and space, Zhu formulated a creative philosophy founded on destruction and reconstruction. In his work, the artist deconstructs subjects, objects, and matter into abstract forms, distilling their emotion and spirit. His paintings interrogate our perception, encouraging the viewer to look at the world anew.

Zhu’s work traces rich cultural influences, from the painted pottery patterns of the Majiayao culture in the upper reaches of China’s Yellow River to the ancient Chinese art of paper-cutting. Works such as Construct a State of Mind reference the totem and pottery culture of ancient China. While paintings such as Disrespectful Intrusion, with their abstracted bodies and deconstructed portraiture, are reminiscent of Picasso’s Cubist faces. In Zhu’s work, vibrant colour, expressive bodily forms, organic shapes, and distorted anatomy dance across the canvas in dynamic compositions.