Rachel Zhang lives and works in New York. Her art, viewed through an absurdist lens, delves into figurative and narrative explorations of existential anxieties within a capitalist society. This encompasses personal autonomy, social roles (particularly gendered bodies), as well as questions about morality and punishment. Zhang’s imagery draws from media and cultural archetypes, social psychology research on conformity and obedience to authority, and satirical, dystopian fiction.
Recently, Zhang has been influenced by historical legacies such as the Cultural Revolution in China and Asian American history. She examines the evolving connections between judgment, morality, and punishment. Her art also incorporates playful manipulation of text and purposefully enigmatic language.
Her scenes unfold in public spaces like laundry rooms and train stations, offering insight into detached social dynamics, power dynamics, and unwritten norms.
“Working with imagined figures and narrative scenes is my way of making sense of cycles of human actions with their simultaneous capacity for tenderness and cruelty.”
Zhang’s works have also been exhibited at Saatchi Gallery as one of the Art for Chang Prize Art for Change Prize winners.
Willow Art Space 