10 Questions with Qinru Zhang
AL-TIBA9 ART MAGAZINE ISSUE13 | FEATURED ARTIST
New York City-based multimedia artist Qinru Zhang has been exploring identity, femininity, and uncanniness using digital mediums, including 3D animation and mixed reality. Through observing society's sexualization of femininity, Zhang appropriates, détourns, and normalizes feminine stereotypes to challenge existing gender norms. With Zhang's unique use of eerie aesthetics in her feminine narrations, she advocates for freedom of choice in identity representations and calls for female empowerment.
Qinru Zhang - Portrait
ARTIST STATEMENT
Artist Qinru Zhang has always been frustrated to see Asian women represented in an idealized way—the oriental beauty, the sexy fighter, or the mysterious plaything. Avoiding these labels, Zhang presented herself using avatars without obvious gender traits on the internet, a digital space she considered safe. The more she hid, the more puzzled she was about her identity representation, until one day she decided to take the definition of femininity back to women and make work that belonged to the girls. Instead of creating innocent girls or caring wives as men always imagined in their narrations, Zhang makes the uncanny, glitched, and arbitrary females the protagonist of her animations. Recently, Zhang has used interactive technology to enable her audiences to intimately establish a physical relationship with her uncanny art. As female empowerment takes place in Zhang's digital world, she also realizes it with installations beyond the screen.
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INTERVIEW
You have quite a complex personality, so let's start from the basics. Who is Qinru Zhang, and how would you describe yourself as a person and an artist?
My name is Qinru Zhang, and I am a multimedia artist based in New York City. My work spans interactive installations, animations, and digital experiences, creating a bridge between reality and the digital realm. I utilize screens as a portal into the digital space and blend visual, auditory, and tactile elements to foster audience engagement. My pieces merge interactive mediums like AR and VR with physical installations, inviting viewers to become a part of the work and breaking down the barriers between reality and imagination. With a unique blend of stereotypical femininity and mechanical elements, my art challenges traditional gender norms in our digitally-driven society. Through eerie aesthetics and thought-provoking storytelling in digital representation, I aim to push boundaries and spark conversation.
Homecore Frame #3660, Animation, 2022 © Qinru Zhang
What training helped you develop into the artist you are today?
As a multimedia artist, I have a diverse range of artistic skills and techniques at my disposal. My background in traditional animation, drawing, 3D modeling, and creative coding provides the foundation for my time-based artistic approach. This versatility enables me to create works that delve into the formation of cultures and identities, not solely restricted to gender expression. In my piece "Homecore" (2022), I delve into the narrative of a teenage girl's daily routine to ask deeper questions about individual origins, existence, and the cyclical nature of life. Through my exploration of these themes and mediums, I aim to foster a more nuanced and thought-provoking dialogue with my audience. My hope is to challenge my viewers to reflect on their own past, present, and future and the factors that have shaped them, asking the question, "What helped you develop into the person you are today?"
In your biography, you mention presenting yourself with avatars to cancel out all the connotations and gender traits that people might associate with your image. How did this help you develop your practice? What did you learn, and how did this influence your work?
My journey as an artist began with my first digital avatar representation on QQ, a popular Chinese socializing platform of the 2000s. I selected a purple-haired 2D illustration girl as my profile photo and dressed up my QQ Show character with a wide range of fashionable outfits, accessories, hairstyles, eye colors, wings, and more. The lines between gender and identity became blurred as I freely chose items meant for both men and women. In this safe digital space, I was free to express myself without restrictions. This experience of digital dress-ups greatly influenced my artistic interest in designing avatars. In 2020, I created "Dressing Up and Remix," an interactive keyboard game that used QQ Show items to explore the broader meaning of identity. My more recent works delve into the representation of borderline and imaginary identities, such as housewives and magical girls. The development of a character's appearance often leads to the natural emergence of their characteristics, lifestyles, backgrounds, and narration. The presentation of characters and avatars has greatly shaped the way I approach my work.
Momomomomi, AR Installation, 2022 © Qinru Zhang
Momomomomi (detail), AR Installation, 2022 © Qinru Zhang
Speaking of your work, you also mention how you have always been frustrated to see Asian women represented in an idealized or fetishized way. Did you experience this yourself? What role do these experiences have in your practice?
As an Asian woman, I understand the experience of being objectified and reduced to "the other" in a foreign cultural context. I have faced instances where I was compared to other Asian individuals solely based on our shared last name, disregarding our unique differences. While these interactions may have been well-intentioned, they perpetuate cultural generalizations that ignore the individuality of each person. This complex cultural appreciation-turned-depreciation inspired me to examine identity from a societal and historical perspective, informing my artistic practices that reflect on identity-based themes.
Ultimately, what would you like to communicate with your work?
Through my artistic practice, I aim to convey the intricacies of female identities and the emotions that accompany them. By employing an eerie art language, I seek to create a powerful and impactful experience for the viewer, inciting reflection on societal structures that suppress and ignore these identities. My ultimate goal is to evoke empathy in the viewer and promote a shift in perspective towards the voices and desires of marginalized identities, whether they are female, beyond the binary of gender, or otherwise. I call for increased focus on their unique experiences and struggles and a deeper understanding of their perspectives.
On that note, you use different mediums and techniques. Do these play a role in communicating the messages? And how do you choose which technique or medium to use?
The medium is an integral part of the message I aim to convey, and interactivity is the key to unlocking its full potential. The power of interactivity lies in the level of freedom it provides to the viewer. In my latest work, "Momomomomi" (2022), viewers have the freedom to move around in front of the camera, but they are forced to wear a cute ruffled pink dress, losing their ability to self-represent. Similarly, in "Homecore" (2022), the VR device confines the audience within the digital world without any navigation panels to guide them. Through these interactive mediums, I reflect on the identity and gender labels that women have been forced to bear, emphasizing the idea of control through interactive and anti-interactive experiences. My aim is to provoke thought about the concepts of control and anti-control and their implications in society.
Homecore Frame #4311, Animation, 2022 © Qinru Zhang
In your experience, what is the public's reaction to your work?
While many view my art as a reflection of my personal experiences, particularly in the case of "The MILF Film" (2021), it is rooted in extensive theoretical research. My aim is not to present my own life but rather to initiate a conversation about broader issues. It is fascinating to see how the public interprets my work and how it connects with their own experiences. Through fostering dialogue with my audience, my art serves as a catalyst for deeper conversations, keeping it alive beyond its physical form. The ongoing discourse is what gives my work its enduring impact.
And what do you think is the role of art in addressing such themes?
As an artist, I believe that the true power of art lies in the discussions it ignites and the emotions it stirs. I aim for my art to serve as a stimulus for the public's own interpretations. By intentionally leaving gaps in my stories and excluding dialogue, I encourage the audience to fill in the missing pieces with their own perspectives, transforming my art into a blank canvas that invites personal expression. My goal is to create a piece of art that prompts people to instinctively write down their answers.
The MILF Collection (The MILF Head), Interactive Animatronic, 2022 © Qinru Zhang
The MILF Film, movie still, 2022 © Qinru Zhang
Let's talk about future projects; what are you working on now?
Currently, I am working on "The MILF Film #2," an animated piece that continues the story of The MILF. This new installment promises to be just as wild as the original, where the wife forcibly feeds her husband, who fails to appreciate her cooking. In addition to my artistic practice, I also work as an animator, editor, and graphic designer on various design and film projects. Engaging in projects outside of my art provides a welcome change of pace and allows me to bring new insights and experiences back into my art-making process.
And lastly, what is the biggest goal you have for 2023?
Over the past year, my work has been exhibited in cities like New York, Denver, and China, and I have participated in projects that have gone live in the US, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan, and more, on platforms like Decentraland. I am proud to have won the MUSE Award for my contributions. Looking back, I am grateful for the progress I have made in such a short time. As we approach 2023's one-third mark, I am eager to set new goals and continue my growth as an artist. My primary focus for the rest of the year is to explore new and innovative ways of creating. There is so much more to learn in the realm of interactivity and experience, and I am eager to dive in and use this knowledge to create even more impactful pieces of art.
