Zhen Cao
Artist Bio
Zhen Cao was born in China and spent half of her life in the US. She now studies and works in San Francisco. She has been working in sculpture and exploring different materials for 6 years now. She is currently enrolled in the MFA program at CCA. Her recent work is trying to talk about femininity and vulnerability.
Artist Statement
As an artist with both eastern and western backgrounds, I create my works revolving around the concept of conveying emotions and feelings. I find these emotions and feelings appear to contain tremendous intensity. Not only do I focus on the manifestation of these emotional problems, but I also create my works in the hope of providing solace and solutions for people with such universal emotions and feelings and helping them cope with their lives with empathy. By imprinting my experience and emotions into my artwork, I want to create an opportunity for others to express their emotions through an aesthetic catharsis. I believe that shared emotions through art are the bridge that can demolish alienation and that by pulling people together, I can forge a better community with my art. Although emotions can often be fierce and intense, I wish to pursue a gentler way by utilizing a unique, Eastern culture inspired element that not only showcases the influences from my background but also proves that even the unfamiliar and the often-regarded “aliens” share similar emotions and experiences with their native counterparts.