Assignment #1: Introduction

Assignment #1: Introduction

Hi, I’m Chenyu Zhang. I’m from Orange County, California, and currently based in New York. I earned a BFA in Art and Design from the University of Michigan. I’m a full-time graduate student at Teachers College, Columbia University, studying Art and Art Education with K-12 initial certification.

During college, I worked as a drawing and painting instructor for an Asian American nonprofit organization in Michigan, which sparked my interest in art education. After undergrad, I spent a year working in creative and studio-based roles in Chicago, including freelance photography, baking, and studio and gallery assistance. Working closely in a studio environment clarified my commitment to teaching art.

My practice looks at how the body and natural forms show change through surface, texture, and structure. I work mainly in mixed media painting and focus on transformation and memory. Personal experience and close observation guide how each piece develops, from material choices to visual decisions. I’m interested in how images carry traces of time, sensation, and internal experience.

Link to My Work