Photos by Jie Deng
Text by Richard L. Gaw

As an abstract painter, my artistic curiosity is fueled by the vibrant colors and forms of Henri Matisse, along with my deep love for nature’s vitality and blooming flowers. 

— Zifeng Zang

How is it possible to understand the journey of an artist - from mind to hand, from idea to application, from the mysterious marrow of creative fertility to the finished canvas?

Endeavor to break down the journey of Chadds Ford artist Zifeng Zang and you will no doubt begin to see answers begin to unravel in textures, colors, tools and the beauty of unpredictable outcomes.

“I started learning about art at a very young age, and my first teacher was my father,” Zeng said from her studio in Chadds Ford, where she teaches art classes. “He was very passionate about art, and he passed that passion along to me, and gave me inspiration that helped me develop my fundamental skills and truly led me on that journey.”

Zeng’s artistic journey began in her native China, when after she graduated from Jilin University, she began a career in graphic design and advertising. After arriving in the U.S. in 2016, Zeng pursued and received a degree in Fine Arts from West Chester University, but it was during the lockdown years of COVID-19 when Zeng’s true artistic journey exploded – one that has led her to have her work appear in nearly one dozen group exhibitions in Philadelphia and Wilmington and earn her several honors and awards.

“My art began to really happen when I gave myself the permission to try,” she said. “I don’t think any of us is a naturally born artist, but that we spend thousands of hours working to come one. I tell my students all the time that if they work hard, they can be artists, as well.”

The art of Zifeng Zang does not dawdle in the message that it conveys. Inspired by the soak-stain method made famous by the artist Helen Frankenthaler, Zang’s abstract expressionist paintings are a collage of acrylics, colored pencils and charcoal, all intended to evoke immediate emotion and energy.

“The soak stain method uses high fluid pigments and pulling directly on the surface to create an effect of interactive blending,” Zeng said. “I create this feeling so that people appreciate both the random resolve of the color and that which can be controlled. My paintings are very emotional, but they came from a very controllable place. I want to evoke the feeling that sometimes in life, we have to confront a lot of uncontrollable moments, but that we also have the power to control at least some of our life. 

“I was born to communicate that message through my technique, and by my hands.”

To learn more about Zifeng Zang, visit www.zifengzang.com or www.instagram.com/zifengzang.