Artist Statement (Lisa Zhou)

Art is said to be one of the most enlightening forms of personal expression, yet much of what I see within the contemporary art world feels commercial and dead. For me, art should have inner life that radiates beyond the confines of the canvas, summon indescribable emotions and challenge the viewer to reassess conventions.

I create figurative art because it is most intimate to me; through painting the human body, I am also reflecting and commenting on the human experience. Given this interest in the figure, my next step is to find out how far I can push the boundaries of representational art making. I've realized I’m not at all satisfied with strict photorealism, and that my reliance on this technique is only because I have grown familiar with it. But to me, painting is not about being comfortable and making art that is easy. I am not following a foolproof formula for success that can be mechanically applied. There is no scientific method for how I create a successful painting. Surely, some of my artwork is visual barf, but others are masterpieces. My process of painting lends itself to great amounts of self-discovery. Because I am my art. Through creative expression, I am able to pull my young, curious, and constantly wandering thoughts toward a positive direction. I breathe in inspiration and exhale through different mediums not to find what form I can master but rather where my creative brain can flourish. 

My artwork directly reflects my surroundings—the environments I expose myself to and the people who affect my perceptions. As I discover more about myself, these truths are subconsciously (and sometimes consciously) channeled into my artwork. 

I am often asked the age old question: What does your artwork mean? 

My answer is nothing more than an honest portrayal of my mind.