Born in China, educated in the United Kingdom, captivated by France, and currently immersed in the United States, Zhaojuan has always been fascinated by culture. She earned her BA in the UK, an MSc in France, and an MFA in the US. Despite her first two degrees being in Economics and Finance, she began pursuing art at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016.
She considers architecture the most vivid expression of civilisation. Interiors, as embodiments of deep intimacy, provide her with a playground not only to inhabit but also to explore her multicultural influences. Drawing from various periods in architectural and interior design history—ranging from Neoclassicism to modern contemporary styles, from Baroque and Rococo to Ukiyo-e—Zhaojuan’s paintings reflect what it means to be a contemporary viewer: a bricoleur of styles both past and present, local and global.
Zhaojuan’s paintings are imbued with vibrant colours, enriched by sophisticated and humorous variations of rocaille, and filled with the joy of their own creation. Inspired by a diverse array of sources—including literature, sculpture, painting, art history, fashion, theatre, and film—her compositions are exuberant, adorned with intricate decorative patterns, and infused with boundless imagination.
She draws influence from Old Masters such as Peter Paul Rubens and Ingres; Post-Impressionists including Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and Vincent van Gogh; as well as Expressionists such as Cy Twombly, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Willem de Kooning, Cecily Brown, and George Condo.
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