Zan Wang
Zan Wang (b. 1997) is a professional artist and researcher based in London, UK. Currently, she is a PhD researcher in contemporary art and philosophy at Lancaster University. She completed her BFA at the School of Visual Arts in 2019 and her MFA in Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2021. Zan's practice explores trace, and ephemerality, and the demarcation and erasure of borders within landscape paintings. Utilising mixed media materials and cyanotype overlay painting, she investigates the multiplicity of awareness and internalised landscapes. Her work features motifs such as relics, stages, and windows, which act as boundaries and portals, offering a multi-layered exploration of space, time, and transformation. Over the past five years, Zan has exhibited in London, Lancaster, and Sheffield in the UK, as well as in New York and Baltimore in the US.
As an artist deeply engaged with the exploration of memory, trace, and the dynamics of perception, my practice is characterized by a delicate shifting between forms and colors through materiality.
My artistic style is deeply rooted in the exploration of materiality and layering, where each piece serves as a meditative reflection on perception, memory, and the passage of time. The style is characterized by a delicate cubism interplay between the application of multiple perspectives, the use of geometric shapes, and a monochromatic color palette, where the unseen forces and processes behind each piece are as integral as the visible outcomes.
The use of multi-layered material introduces a murallike, ethereal quality to my painting, where images emerge and recede into the background, mirroring the fleeting nature of memory and thought. This technique allows for the capture of subtle traces and shadows, echoing the style of traditional murals while infusing it with a contemporary sensitivity to environmental and temporal elements.
Multiplicity and palimpsest are crucial to the visual vocabulary of my work. Each painting is constructed as a complex layering of materials and meanings, reminiscent of a palimpsest where old images and meanings are overlaid with new ones without completely erasing the past. This layering technique results in a rich, textured surface that invites close examination and multiple interpretations, reflecting the complexity of human experience and perception.
I primarily work with mixed media such as plants, ash, paper, pulp, sand, and traditional media such as oil and acrylic. It is a choice inspired by my unique manipulation of material to capture light sensation through dense material, creating a tangible record of ephemeral interactions. My artworks are large in scale, typically measuring 1.5 meters by 2 meters, echoing the grandeur and immersive quality of traditional Chinese hand-scroll paintings.
I see the earthy, malleable medium reemerge in my work. Working on hand-made textured canvas helps me to investigate the relationship between memory and time. Painting urban and natural landscapes allow me to explore the importance of intercultural engagement, history, and mythology. The colors and imagery are earthy tones and are surrounded by a historical aura, but I intend to illuminate contemporary life with historical references. For me, painting is a way of thinking to give a new understanding of any event, past or present.
I compare painting to deep respiration--an inertial, primitive, deep breathing pattern that carries memories, emotions, and desires. This deep pure memory of intimate connection guides me to grab the shape from chaos and perceive it in memory: Here, now. There, once. I am awakening illegible memories and emotions. These echoes summon and rush at me and I paint in reaction.
Its is an ongoing dialogue between these varied influences and the materials I use, each piece a palimpsest of cultural, historical, and personal narratives, inviting viewers to delve into a multi-layered experience of discovery and reflection through memory.
Project Gallery
