Able Zhang
My life span as an artist shall be a constant process of discourse.
My enthusiasm is engaged by the question of how this world is interpreted through collective consciousness and how my ideas activate people to rethink what we identify. The system that we have been consistently following is a system of identifications. Through the inheritance of architecture, knowledge, and art, we have been keeping our identifications for this world from generations to generations. However, we are still lost in between spaces and dimensions that remain empty in our brief history. Thus, my position as an artist, started with my realisation and following with my influences, is to guard our intellectual awareness of institutional domination and to post questions to what we do not identify. As an artist, I shall have the determination to solely question the heritage of history, the agreement of communities, and the domain of institution. I shall examine the possibility of human sublimity—the system that we intimately heed and respond to—through a compression of past, present, and future.
Up to this stage of my artist career, I consider contemporary art as a combination of visual, representational and referential methods that is intellectually composed to critique any human formation and definitions. I shall be taking a perspective outside from established systematic routines throughout my process of thinking and making art. With that awareness, impractically turning over the whole establishment and construction of this conceptual world that humans identify shall not be my intention. An alternate way of rethinking what we have been educated shall be the question mark that I raise through my way of making art.
The sublimity we heed is not formed or led by any individual but by the collective consciousness of the entire human species. Nevertheless, art must be kept throughout time because the way that art intellectually and critically posts the realisation in between emptiness and awareness must be reserved. It is the formation of self-awareness for my own making. It is the formation of translation for other artists’ taking. And, it is the formation of conservation for human’s intellectualising.
Instagram: @kazuhiro_az
KONG ZHONG
,Able Zhang
, 2019, installation and performance, dimensions variable.
KONG ZHONG
,Able Zhang
, 2019, installation and performance, dimensions variable.
KONG ZHONG
,Able Zhang
, 2019, installation and performance, dimensions variable.
KONG ZHONG
,Able Zhang
, 2019, installation and performance, dimensions variable.
KONG ZHONG
,Able Zhang
, 2019, installation and performance, dimensions variable.
KONG ZHONG
,Able Zhang
, 2019, installation and performance, dimensions variable.KONG ZHONG
,Able Zhang
, 2019, installation and performance, performance video documentation (muted).
islands
,Able Zhang
, 2020, installation and performance, dimensions variable.
islands
,Able Zhang
, 2020, installation and performance, dimensions variable.
islands
,Able Zhang
, 2020, installation and performance, dimensions variable.
islands
,Able Zhang
, 2020, installation and performance, dimensions variable.
islands
,Able Zhang
, 2020, installation and performance, dimensions variable.islands
,Able Zhang
, 2020, installation and performance, performance video documentation (muted).Curriculum Vitae
Born: 1996, Songzi, Hubei, China
Resides: London, United Kingdom
Education
2018 - 2020
MFA Fine Art
Fine Art Media, Slade School of Fine Art,
University College London, London, United Kingdom
2014 - 2018
B.A. in Art, with Latin Honors, Cum Laude; with Honors in Art (Overall GPA | 3.87/4.00) Contemporary Art Practice
Department of Art, Claire Trevor School of the Arts
University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2015
Summer Session in Japanese Studies and Language, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
2011 -2014
No.1 Middle School affiliated to Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
Solo Exhibitions
2017
1/3, 2/3, 3/3
Catalyst Gallery, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2017
WU SONG DI: A SOLO EXHIBITION
2027, Room Gallery, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
Group Exhibitions
2020
Slade Degree Shows 2020, by 2nd year MA & MFA candidates
Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, London, United Kingdom
2019
Post-graduate Annual Open Studios 2019
Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Slade Interim Show 2019, by 2nd year MA & MFA candidates, Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, London, United Kingdom
2018
Postgraduate Annual Open Studios 2018
Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Hotspot, 1st year MA & MFA Project Exhibition
Slade School of Fine Art,
University College London, London, United Kingdom
Units Not To Scale, Undergraduate Honors Thesis Exhibition
University Art Gallery, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A. Fine Arts:
2017
Residency in Contemporary Practices Open Studios
Flex Space, MFA Fine Arts, School of Visual Arts, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Tenth Thursday, Department Quarter Exhibition (Performance Art; Artist’s Book)
Department of Art, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2016
Tenth Thursday, Department Quarter Exhibition (Programming Art)
Department of Art, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
Residencies
2017 - 18
Undergraduate Senior Honors in Art, Studio Residence, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2017
Fine Arts: Residency in Contemporary Practices, Studio Residency Programs,
School of Visual Arts, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Curatorial Project
2017
Eva Ren: The Glee
Catalyst Gallery, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
Professional Development / Service
University College London · Slade School of Fine Art
2020
Sponsor, Leader and Manager, High School Alumni Donation Activities For 2019–2020 Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak (Fundraising, Medical Supplies Support, Information Platform)
2019
Artist Assistant and Installer, Slade Degree Shows 2019, by 2nd year MA & MFA candidates
University of California Irvine · Claire Trevor School of the Arts
2016
2017-2018
Senior Designer and Curator, Catalyst Gallery
2017
Full-time Internship, Shanghai Gallery of Art, Three on the Bund, Shanghai, China
2015 -2017
Arts Ambassador, UCI Arts Ambassadors Program
2015 -2017
Student Representative, VIP Receptions for Donors
Graphic Designer, Student Events
2017
Collaborating Artist, COL7AB, Choreography by Simon Harrison, William J. Gillespie Performance Studios
Setup, Usher, and Photographer, It’s Your Party, Collaborative Performance Organized by Nancy Buchanan, Experimental Media Performance Lab, Contemporary Arts Center
2016
Usher, Rainbow Jam, By Fallen Fruit with Fol Chen, Experimental Media Performance Lab, Contemporary Arts Center
2015
Art Director, Paper Plane, Directed by Eric Huang, Selection of 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival, Newport Beach, California, U.S.A.
2014
Cast, Don’t Care, Directed by Floris-Jan August Zuure, Selection of 2015 Newport Beach Film Festival, Newport Beach, California, U.S.A.
No.1 Middle School affiliated to Central China Normal University
2014
Producer and Director, Let There Be Light, Graduation Film, Class of 2014
2013 -2014
Editor-in-Chief, Flame 2013, School Annual Magazine
2012 - 2013
Executive Vice President, Student Union
Student Manager, Alumni Association
Founder and President, IEC Inter-Cultural Communication Association
Awards (Scholarships and Honours)
2018
Elected For Membership in Phi Beta Kappa, National Academic Honor Society, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2018
Academic Honors at Graduation 2018, Latin Honors - Cum Laude,
Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2017 - 2018
Kris and Linda Elftmann Scholarship, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2014 - 2018
Dean’s Honor List (10 Quarters), Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2017 - 2018
Undergraduate Senior Honors in Art, Department of Art, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2017 Selected Artist for Solo Exhibition, 13th Annual Guest Juried Undergraduate Exhibition, Juried by Ulysses Jenkins and Amanda Ross-Ho, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2017 University Art Galleries Fellowship, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2017 Governmental Award Trip to Japan, Kakehashi Project, Hosted by Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Japan, Tokyo, Japan
2016 Arts Ambassador Scholarship, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California
Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2016 Participation Award, 2016 Southern California High-School and College Japanese Speech
Contest, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
2016 First Place, 10th Annual Japanese Speech Contest, Elementary Level, School of Humanities, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
2013 Person of the Year, No.1 Middle School affiliated to Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
2013 Honorary President of Student Union, No.1 Middle School affiliated to Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
2013 Annual City Student Leader, Wuhan, Hubei, China
2012 Annual City Student of Academic Records, Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei, China
Public Collections
Archived: Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, London, United Kingdom
Archived: University Art Galleries, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, U.S.A.
Archived: Fine Arts: Residency in Contemporary Practices, Flex Space, MFA Fine Arts,
School of Visual Arts, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Skills
Languages
Chinese (First Language); English (Proficient); Japanese (Intermediate)
Specialities
Graphic Design, Website Design, Video Editing, Sound Effects, Visual Programming, Analog Photography, Digital Photography, Image Processing, Typesetting, Book Editing & Design, Event & Program Planning, On-Site Coordination, Organizing & Leading, Public Relations, Speech Skills
Software
Proficient in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Final Cut Pro, Max, Logic Pro X, iMovie, Picasa, Adobe Acrobat, iBooks Author, iWork (Pages, Keynote, Numbers), Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), etc.
Price List
For enquiries regarding commissions and performances, please contact the artist directly.
NB: The Slade School of Fine Art does not act as an intermediary for sales, nor is it liable for any disputes arising from sales of artworks.