Xi Zhang

Xi Zhang (b. 1984, Kaifeng, China) is a contemporary painter whose emotionally charged, narrative-driven works explore the complexities of the human psyche, identity, and vulnerability. After immigrating to the United States, Zhang earned his BFA from the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and his MFA in Painting from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is currently Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of Utah.

Blending Eastern philosophy and Western expressionist traditions, Zhang's paintings are deeply personal and often theatrical, exploring intimate emotional landscapes, existential struggle, and psychological fragmentation. His work is rooted in storytelling and shaped by his immigrant experience, shifting between cultures, languages, and emotional truths. Whether through expansive, dreamlike compositions or tightly composed portraits, he creates a space where anxiety, empathy, and longing coexist in painterly tension.

Zhang’s series, such as Metallic Leaf Garden and No One’s Wonderland, reflect his interest in the poetic and philosophical dimensions of contemporary life. His recent body of work, Strings, investigates the final stages of his grandmother’s life, using visual metaphor to imagine her inner world after losing her ability to speak. These works reveal his belief in painting as a language of empathy and transformation.

Zhang has exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Denver Art Museum, Songzhuang Art Museum (Beijing), and Biennial of the Americas. His work has been recognized by CNN, PBS, and Art LTD Magazine. Rather than offering resolution, his paintings remain suspended in psychological tension, inviting the viewer to reflect on uncertainty, memory, and hope.


www.xizhang.org