Sophie Ruoyu Zhang
Biography
Sophie Ruoyu Zhang is a Chinese artist born in 1999, currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, US.
Since techno-scientific mutations accelerate the evolution of natural and artificial life, the ability of randomness, which responds quickly and flexibly to natural systems is thought-provoking. Since patterns or modes have always been an important condition in the process of our evolution, gradually, randomization; in the literature world has also become more effective in the evolution of complex systems, such as asemic art and poetry.
By incorporating concepts from material-ecocriticism and post-humanism, “working as a ‘diffraction apparatus’”, her practices utilize multiple natural materials, and are executed with both traditional and emerging medias. Her oil painting, printmaking, and performance respond to and reinterpret the natural objects that are in a limbo of recognition, permeating poetics, on the threshold of the subjecthood, the recognizable and the representable. Her works are considered as diffraction apparatus--- to code and decode concepts and objects with the aspect of asemic arts, to achieve in symbiosis with humans, nature, and the autonomous poetics.
What’s your background?
I was born in 1999 in Chongqing, China, and later found myself settling in Brooklyn, New York, as an interdisciplinary artist after graduating from RISD. Despite not having artistic roots, I pursued a degree in fine arts against my parents' wishes. My formative years in my hometown shaped my personality and solidified my affinity for napa cabbage. This unassuming vegetable has become a revered object in my life and is an integral part of my daily rituals. In South Asia, napa cabbage carries significant symbolic meanings and homonym transcriptions, such as wealth and purity. As a product of nature and post-human consumer society, napa cabbage is a potent symbol of our current times. It has also become a crucial material in my works of art, serving as an object, material, and score.
What does it mean to you to win the Collectors Art Prize?
Receiving this prize is an incredible honor for me. I am deeply grateful for the recognition of my work, and I am also excited to see the diverse range of artists who have been acknowledged, providing me with a glimpse into the current state of the art market.
What do you think is the role of art in the world today?
The role of art is to serve as a mediating agent between texts/languages and cognition.
What would it be if you could change one thing about the art world?
With the ongoing technological revolution and evolution of artificial life, it is crucial to acknowledge the impact of "randomness" on our perception of image and the stereotypical programming derived from our past experiences.
What are your most significant professional achievements?
Over the past few months, I have participated in several shows across the globe, including HOAA in Milan, Italy, Le Génie de la Bastille in Paris, France, Bommer Gallery in London, UK, Woods Gerry Gallery, Light Space & Time Art, Memorial Hall Gallery, among others in the US. These exhibitions have garnered positive feedback, and some of my works have been featured on billboards at LED Art in downtown Baltimore and in the Art Walk in Times Square, New York City last year. My works and writings have been extensively covered by various publications, interviews, and magazines, such as Al-Tiba9 from Barcelona, Spain, OushiNet and Artist Talk Magazine from the UK, and Sina, EveryArt from China, among others. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with some of China's leading multidisciplinary artists, including Zhang Peili and Li Binyuan, over the past few years.
What do you wish to tell viewers about your work that might not come out explicitly? What do you hope to inspire with your artwork?
In the wake of the post-human society, my focus has predominantly shifted towards ecocriticism and "ecologies of coexistence," as conveyed in anemic art and poetry. Employing multiple mediums, including natural objects such as napa cabbage, wine, and coffee, along with oil painting, printmaking, sound, and performance, my practice functions as a "diffraction apparatus," allowing me to install my ideas within the same spectrum and create interdependent asemic scores. My works respond to natural objects that exist on the threshold of subjectivity, the recognizable, and the representable, while contextualizing them in the context of post-humanism. For example, napa cabbage not only represents the organic material but also a shift toward post-humanism. My body aesthetics and image politics are rooted in the new communication revolution, a post-human drama based on the evolution of the human-nonhuman, nature, and technology. As a diffraction apparatus, napa cabbage is used to code and decode concepts and objects, enabling me to explore the intersection of natural and cultural elements. By evoking people's sensitivity towards this "diffraction apparatus," my work strives to create a space for a dialogue on these complex themes.
What advice would you give to the upcoming generation of artists?
It's important to explore new materials and approaches in our work, particularly those that align with our specific research interests. Let's be thoughtful and deliberate in our experimentation.
In what direction would you like to see your career go in the next five years?
As an independent artist, I am committed to further engaging with this community and gaining valuable experience. At the same time, I am exploring other fields that can provide me with inspiration and a stronger foundation for my future artistic experiments. These fields include design, publishing, poetry, the food and wine industry, and more. While seemingly disparate, each of these pursuits shares a common thread with my artwork: a focus on background information, content, and the processing of different mediums within the same conceptual framework.
Country China
