Wen Wen Zhou

Wen Wen Zhou | The Watcher | 2025

You moved from China to Australia at the age of 17. How did this transition influence your artistic vision and style?

My overseas study experience at a young age had a profound impact on my artistic vision. The concept of art education in Australia emphasizes innovation and freedom. I still remember one lesson: the teacher came into the classroom, turned off all the lights and started to play music. She told every student to close their eyes and listen to the music in the dark, which was a very soothing and beautiful violin concerto. She said something like “link the music and as you feel something, just draw it. Don’t worry about whether the modeling is accurate or not, or whether the painting is right or not, just paint what you feel in your heart at that moment.” The reason why I still remember that lesson after so many years is that the teacher was trying to tell us that art is deeply moving because it follows the most primitive and simple feelings of the artist’s heart, and that we should follow these feelings to create, and not to be overly influenced and bound by external concepts. This idea has always permeated my entire art practice.

Wen Wen Zhou | Outside In | 2025

Your works have been shown in many countries and cultural contexts. How does exhibiting internationally impact the way you create and present your art?

I have been very fortunate to exhibit in the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Australia. I am very interested in how each country has its own unique geography and different cultural heritage. The world is huge, and it is interesting to meet people and things outside of the environment that I am familiar with. I am also interested in the exchange of ideas with artists from different cultural backgrounds, which often leads to a creative inspiration.

Several of your works were selected for Buddhist Association of China album covers. Can you tell us more about this collaboration and what it meant to you?

It was a very fortuitous collaboration. At that time, the Buddhist Association was preparing to publish a set of “ The sound of ocean “ music albums and they saw by chance a series of my paintings on ancient Chinese themes that I had created with the medium of Tempera. They thought that the mood and artistic language conveyed by my paintings was suitable for the cover of the album, and so it was an instant match.

As a practicing Buddhist, I find teachings of Buddhism such as living in the present moment and abiding in emptiness profound. I place the highest value on this spiritual pathway and in turn this influences my art.

Wen Wen Zhou | Invisible World | 2025

How does your Chinese heritage and your life in Australia merge in your artistic expression?

Australia is a very ecologically and environmentally aware country. In my neighborhood, there are large forests, pastures, rivers and mountains. I often put down my brushes at sunset, go out of the studio and walk along the river. On these walks you can see rabbits, wombats, kangaroos and all sorts of beautiful birds roaming freely on the land. As I breathe the clean air and experience nature this becomes one of the most important sources of energy for me to concentrate on my work.

Although I was raised in a traditional Chinese culture , the vastness of Australia’s natural landscapes and relaxed society has had a significant impact on my worldview and artistic creation. For example in many of my works this influence can be seen through the combination of natural Australian elements and Buddhist concepts of stillness and living in presence.

Wen Wen Zhou | Are You Still There | 2024

Can you walk us through your creative process — from the first idea to the finished piece?

As soon as I have a preliminary image formed in my mind I start painting directly on the canvas, so I hardly ever make small drafts. It’s an interesting process because the final picture is often different from the initial thought. Each painting becomes a mysterious adventure. Often inspiration emerges as the picture evolves and this random fluidity is very appealing to me.

Wen Wen Zhou | Shadows Of Memory | 2024

Do you see your art as a way to tell personal stories, or is it more about universal themes?

My art has always focused on the inner heart, the subconscious, dreams and the relationship between the individual and the world. My latest series, “I Like You to Be Still”, (named after a poem by Neruda), explores the nature of life through anthropomorphic sculpture, architecture, nature and animals.

In the twenty-first century, we live in a fast-paced era inundated with the explosion of global information. As such a large portion of each day is stolen by the internet and short videos. I hope that my art can provide a sanctuary in this chaos where the viewer can slow down, stop, think, and return to the most fundamental essence of our humanity – solitude, tranquility, and freedom.

How do you balance traditional artistic techniques with contemporary approaches in your practice?

I have always believed that the technique of painting serves the idea; it is the means，not the result.