Zhang Mingxuan's Studio Practice Explores Bodily Trauma Through Nylon and Printmaking
At just 27, Chinese artist Zhang Mingxuan merges painting with printmaking to depict distorted human figures. By manipulating thick nylon hosiery, she stretches the tattered material over wood panels painted in black, resulting in ghostly impressions. Her first solo exhibition took place in 2023 at the Hive Center for Contemporary Art in Shanghai, showcasing pieces such as 'Tulip' and 'Angel.' That same year, she earned her MA in printmaking from the Royal College of Art in London. Her recent creations, 'Mull' (2024) and 'Chiasm' (2025), illustrate bodies curled in fetal stances, expressing raw emotion. Zhang's work delves into themes of identity, trauma, and resilience, with nylon serving as a 'second skin' that fosters interaction between surface and substrate.
Key facts
- Zhang Mingxuan is a 27-year-old Chinese artist
- Her debut solo show was in 2023 at Hive Center for Contemporary Art in Shanghai
- She completed an MA in printmaking at the Royal College of Art in London in 2023
- Her studio is in Hong Kong
- She uses a method involving violently torn nylon hosiery stretched over wood boards
- Works are pressed onto canvas with black pigment to create body imprints
- Recent paintings show bodies unfolding from embryonic states
- Her practice includes performance, such as walking through Richmond Park in a stocking suit
Entities
Artists
- Zhang Mingxuan
- Felix S. C. Wong
- Michele Chan
Institutions
- Hive Center for Contemporary Art
- Royal College of Art
- ArtAsiaPacific
Locations
- Shanghai
- China
- London
- United Kingdom
- Hong Kong
- Richmond Park