Bo Zhang on Fluorescent Canvases, Pigeons and the Touch of Skin and Feathers
Bo Zhang, originally from Harbin, China, has taken an unusual path in her artistic journey. Although her father worked at a university and her mother was a lawyer, they encouraged her to view art as a pastime. She pursued studies at technical universities across China, Germany, and the Netherlands, and while working on her PhD in cognitive psychology, she also attended the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. A dedicated bird enthusiast, her artwork is inspired by her interactions with birds, utilizing a vivid color scheme developed through her studies on avian vision. Her prominent pieces include "Dodo," which portrays a bird that has passed away, and "Bystander," showcasing vultures at Artis in Amsterdam. Influenced by artists like Anthony Cudahy and Elizabeth Peyton, this interview was conducted by Pelumi Adejumo for Mister Motley.
Key facts
- Bo Zhang was born and raised in Harbin, northeastern China, near Mongolia and Russia
- Her mother worked at a university and her father was a lawyer
- She began painting lessons before age ten, after drawing on the walls at home
- She studied at technical universities in China, Germany and the Netherlands before a PhD in cognitive psychology
- She studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie through the part-time Dogtime programme
- She kept fifteen to twenty pigeons on her balcony as a preschooler in northern China
- She currently keeps two Bourke's parakeets and one cockatiel
- Her neon-pink fluorescent palette stems from research into bird vision, including ultraviolet perception
- The painting Dodo shows a bird resting on her husband's stomach, painted as a near-transparent contour after the bird's death
- Bystander depicts two vultures eating a lamb's leg at Artis in Amsterdam beside a watching pigeon
- After she left her job, her mother commissioned a Chinese stone seal for her signature
- She names Anthony Cudahy, Aubrey Levinthal, Peter Doig and Elizabeth Peyton as influences
- The interview was written by Pelumi Adejumo for Mister Motley
Entities
Artists
- Bo Zhang
- Anthony Cudahy
- Aubrey Levinthal
- Peter Doig
- Elizabeth Peyton
- Pelumi Adejumo
Institutions
- Gerrit Rietveld Academie
- Artis
- Mister Motley
- Dinamo
Locations
- Harbin
- China
- Mongolia
- Russia
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Amsterdam