Jing Zhou

Infinity (Ch’an Mind, Zen Mind Series)
digital mixed media on archival paper
20 x 24 in.

As a Chinese artist living in the western world, I am aware of art and philosophy of both cultures. My comprehensive understanding of Chinese philosophies has shaped my thinking, conduct, and personality. The prudent and contrary-minded Taoist beliefs, the attached down-to-earth reality of Confucianism, and the sudden enlightenment and intuitive insights of Zen are the foundation of my life. On the other hand, Western art, literature, and philosophies have also inspired me and have opened new ways of thinking about my art and my life.

Beyond various techniques and conceptions, the process of creating and making art has enchanted me. At the core of my art is an attempt to attain moments of transcendence, to reach the artless-art, emptiness, self-unconsciousness, and self-forgetfulness. In other words, artistic creation is a process of expressing my true nature via “being” human.

© Jing Zhou