Qingyu Zheng, born in Hangzhou and now based in London, works across performance, sculpture, and painting; navigating the private and public realms, examining how women's bodies are disciplined, monitored, and represented within family, cultural, and social structures.
She uses her own body as both medium and material, transcending the boundaries of the two dimensional, even traditional, sculptural realm. She doesn't shy away from emotions like confusion, discomfort, anger, and sadness; instead, she employs these often unsettling psychological reactions in her work, compelling viewers to listen to the often-overwhelmed voices of women. At the same time, her work addresses both visibility and invisibility, highlighting women's experiences and histories and acknowledging recurring yet unresolved issues.
Her current research focuses on "localised feminism", which explores how East Asian women rethink love, desire, family, and self amidst censorship, clan structures, and moral expectations. Through a fusion of performance, text, and sculpture, she transforms private vulnerability into collective power, recasting vulnerability as a form of resistance.
EDUCATION
University of the Arts London | London, UK | September 2023-June 2026
BA(Hons) Fine Art, Chelsea College of Arts
EXHIBITIONS
Artist | Desire Unbound, The Handbag Factory | London, UK | March 2026
Artist | Chronicles of Intimacy, Pie Factory Margate Gallery | Margate, UK | November 2025
Artist | The University Art Biennial | Mallorca, Spain | June 2025
Artist & Curator | The Forms They Wear, Hart’ Lane | London, UK | March 2025
Artist | Dreamland, Holy Art Gallery | London, UK | June 2024
Artist & Curator | Collective Corner | London, UK | October 2024
Artist & Curator | Instead of Being Ignored, Safe House | London, UK | April 2024
Artist | Lunation II, Greenhaus | London, UK | November 2023