Jingyi Zhang

Jingyi Zhang (China, based in New York) discussed her practice with ART MAKER:


ART MAKER: Can you describe your creative process, from the initial idea to the finished piece?

JINGYI ZHANG: I am a highly visual and emotional artist. In my artistic practice, the process of “forming” a work does not begin with a concept or a topic—it often starts from a blurry image in my mind or a faint emotion. I follow this subtle subconscious to see where it leads me, and I rely on my intuition to gradually shape that vague image and elusive feeling into a complete piece. My creative process is not based on planning but rather push by spontaneous inspiration.

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ART MAKER: What’s next for you? Are there any new projects or directions you’re excited to explore?

JINGYI ZHANG: I used to focus primarily on photography, but now I want to explore how to work with materials around me to express my visual ideas. In recent exhibitions, I experimented with printing my photographs on chiffon fabric to see how the texture of the cloth could interact with the image in interesting ways. I now often work as a production designer on film sets, where I explore how the design of objects can reflect a character’s inner world while also showcasing my aesthetic and curatorial sensibility. Moving forward, I hope to experiment with mediums such as printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics—shifting from the virtual screen to physical space—to investigate the interaction between materiality and personal spirituality.

See more of Jingyi's work and read the rest of her interview in >> ART MAKER Issue 1.

From the Oasis series: Jingyi Jhang, Oasis, 2024, Digital photography, size variable. Images courtesy of the artist.