Meet the Artist

Jenny

Zhang

“If I would start reflecting from the beginning of my life, I will consider myself a piece of paper. The accumulation of creases, folds, cracks and notches will never fade, which is similar to the living of a human being. Repeating life cycles, experiences and their projection into the future, are all being unfolded on a piece of paper. Using a scissor or knife to cut on paper is not just a simple creation of decorative images, but the thinking and refining of those irreplaceable, unforgettable, and unchangeable traces, to express in the same profound way.My work explores self-identities, human relationships, and cultural connections through a modern manifestation of traditional paper-cuttings. I reflect on a multicultural experience combining the aesthetics of Chinese painting and Indigenous art. The newest work consists of two different styles of work which is window flowers (窗花) and carved papers(刻纸). While window flowers delivered the philosophy of life, carved papers presented the concretized imagery. As a result, I have developed a unique stylistic approach that blends reduplicated abstract patterns and detailed realistic drawings.The title of the work “Jianzhi” which means “Paper-cuttings” emphasized the cultural value of the artform and the actions in working process. The title aimed to avoid limitation and provide space for further interpretations and imaginations of what is being conveyed.

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Jenny Zhang is a Chinese-Canadian multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Canada. She specializes in cityscape paintings and original paper cuttings that explored self-identities, human relationships, and cultural connections. In 2022, she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting from the Ontario College of Art and Design University.
OCAD U - Faculty of Art
Drawing and Painting: Digital Painting and Expanded Animation
Major Completed, 2022
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