We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Wenying Zhang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Wenying thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Yes, I am very happy and never regret being an artist. I used to have a regular job as an Internet product manager, and it’s a well-paying job. Now as an artist, I don’t really make money anymore, but making art gives me more satisfaction than money. As a product manager, the first priority of design is to meet the needs of customers and make high profits for the company. As an artist, on the other hand, I can follow my inspirations and share my vision with viewers. Art helps me slow down to think more deeply and to know myself better, which is impossible if I keep doing the regular job.

Wenying, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was a project manager in one of the largest IT companies in China for several years before quitting my job to study fine art photography. In 2019, I came to the United States to study in the MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media department at SVA.

Now that I have graduated, I am a full-time artist focusing on abstract landscape photography. I also have a social media account to share my art practice, as well as the experience of studying art abroad with Chinese audiences.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I have studied traditional Chinese painting since childhood and am deeply influenced by Shan Shui painting in terms of how nature is depicted and how landscape imagery can reflect emotion and spirituality. These paintings are constructed spaces rather than direct documentation of the landscape. There is no precise scale, perspective, or light and shadow in Shan Shui paintings. Mountains, water, clouds, and fishermen are arranged by the painters just as objects are arranged in still-life paintings. It is the spiritual
salvation of the literati. When they were wounded in the real world, they went to the mountains and water to seek healing and relief. The landscape was a metaphor for their inner world. Ancient Chinese philosophy shapes my way of seeing and perceiving.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

After I came to the States to study, I began to realize the significant differences in Western culture and ways of seeing and thinking. It helps me to take a serious look at myself and my cultural background, which I took for granted before I went abroad. The Western artists and their artworks lead me to understand more about the West, so I also want to bring Chinese culture and philosophy to a wider Western audience through my own art practice. My thesis project, Nature Expedition, tries to depict the landscape with my own perception and ancient Chinese philosophy. The images in my work are the records of the spiritual journey through the landscape photographs I took, just as the ancient Chinese literati did when they appreciated Shan Shui paintings. This body of work was created during the pandemic when I felt depressed because of the political and social violence. Despite all the differences between us, our love for the natural world is what we have in common. I hope my artwork can not only present an Eastern perception but also reunite us like the natural world.

Contact Info:

• Website: zhangwenying.net
• Instagram: wenying8812