Dan Zhu

Dan Zhu (1985) creates a magical world in a refined style in which for instance mussels can string together like a stick and walk on the beach probing the sand. In another work A Trip to an Image she uses the setting of a train window to frame the imagery, where leaves, flowers, flying creatures and planets pass by simultaneously as in a dream in which everything has its meaning. To Dan Zhu Trip to an Image is a metapher for the path she has to follow in her development. In recent work she explores natural forms, switching from macro to a micro level and using parallel perspectives that bring movement and dynamics into the image

In traditional Chinese painting the concept of Spirit Resonance is important. It means that an object of figure does not have to be scientifically accurate but the spirit evoked by the movements of a figure or object must be precious. On the other hand she is also inspired by Western art with a preference for artist like Hilma Af Klint or outsider artitst like Henry Darger or Guo Fengyi. Painting skills from the east and the west are equally valid to her: “the roads are different but the goals are the same. Curators or art historians are always swimming along the river. But artists are jumping all over the place.”