ZIJING DENG
Printmaker / Illustrator / Artist
Zijing Deng
Born in China
Now lives and works in London
Zijing focuses on exploring women's oppression in Chinese traditional customs, folklore, and symbols. Using printmaking, painting, and water-based media, she is interested in reconstructing an anti-patriarchal narrative visual language to create a space that facilitates empowerment for female groups.
EDUCATION BACKGROUND
2022-2023 MA / Print / Royal College of Art
2018-2022 BA / Watercolor / Hubei Institute of Fine Arts
EXHIBITION:
2023 The Reflections of Multi-Selves CMCI Winter Festival
King’s College, London
2023 Royal College of Art Graduation Show
Royal College of Art, London
2023 SPG Two-Fold Exhibition
Royal College of Art, London
2023 Shiyan Watercolor Exhibition
Shiyan, Hubei
2022 Hubei Institute of Fine Arts Watercolor Graduation Exhibition
Wuhan, Hubei
2021 Watercolor Campus Exhibition
Wuhan, Hubei
2021 Beijing Design Week Exhibition
Beijing
2020 "Figures” Watercolor Exhibition
Wuhan, Hubei
2020 Hubei Institute of Fine Arts Campus Exhibition
Wuhan, Hubei
2019 Hubei Institute of Fine Arts Sketch Exhibition
Wuhan, Hubei
HISTORY OF AWARDS
2021 Innoideas
Excellence Award
2021 Britain International Creative Competition
Nomination
2021 Singapore Art Design Contest
Bronze Award
2020 The 8th Illustration International Competition
Nomination
SYMBOLS IN PROGRESS
Influence in the subconscious
Identify and document patriarchal symbols within traditional Chinese culture, translating these observations into visual sketches and practices, thereby critically examining and analysing the disempowering effects these socially constructed symbols impose on women groups.
WORK
MOTHER
The female occupies an indispensable position in the process of human development, social mainstream always praise mother's great and create a glorious image.But never tell the risk and the harm to the body. Under the pressure of the society, Many women decide to have children without knowing the implications.Women should know what they have to face before choose to have children.
LOTUS
This is a collage of woodcut, Through lotus, I discuss the oppression of women in traditional Chinese folk customs. So lotus in the traditional Chinese context has a meaning of wishing a couple to have more children, I think it’s an oppression of women. By discipline, correction, and internalization. Folk customs have influenced women's thoughts . I want to stop it from affecting the next generation and stop female groups become the slave of patriarchy.
DECIPLING FOLKLORISTIC
When toxic traditional culture is passed down from one generation to the next, it becomes a system, like a discipline folkloristic, creating a micro-power in the society, which controls people, not by domination and punishment, but by discipline, correction, and internalization. Folk customs have influenced women's thoughts, making women think that they should take responsibility for their choices. In this way, the unfair social structure that causes the problem becomes invisible.
MADHOUSE
This is a photo etching of a female figure and plants in combination with nature, expressing the repression of the environment and the inhibition of autonomous development
THE ANATOMY OF LOTUS
The deconstruction of the lotus plant shows the special treatment of women, with each part representing a different function of women in society
FADED
This is a self-healing project, I have been an invisible character through secondary school with the help of friends after experiencing school violence and verbal violence from teachers while growing up