Bowen Zhang
B.1999 Zhoushan, China
Bowen Zhang (B. Zhoushan) is a Chinese artist currently based in London and the Zhoushan Archipelago. Drawing inspiration from his family's deep roots in fisheries and manual labour, his islander and Chinese diaspora identity, and vast travelling experiences, Bowen’s practice delves into the topics concerning the fishing industry/labour market, power structure regarding gender and class, and leisure tourism. Bowen’s artistic endeavours span mediums such as object-making, writing, social activism, and actions, offering a multifaceted exploration of his heritage and its intersection with contemporary issues.
Born and raised in Zhoushan, Bowen spent his formative 18 years immersed in an environment shaped by the coastal landscape and the cultural fabric of his local community. His grandfather's engagement in fishing and his grandmother's role in sewing provided a rich backdrop for observing work dynamics and traditional gender roles within his family. Witnessing his father's evolution from manual labour to becoming a small pelagic fisheries business owner and navigating the family's attitudes toward education, labour, and occupation became pivotal influences on his artistic/political reflection and expression. These observations served as certain field research resources for his re-examination of some underlying social issues through the artistic lens in later years.
Having extended his experiences beyond Zhoushan since 2017 to locations such as Australia, the UK, Tanzania, Germany, Italy, and France, Bowen has accumulated a diverse and nuanced understanding of Chinese culture, particularly within coastal areas and islands. This global perspective informs his artwork, which serves as a reflection of the transformative societal shifts in Chinese society since the 1978 Economic Reform, the evolving dynamics of labour and identity, and other related political and social issues.
In his current artistic practice, Bowen addresses performativity and masculinity within the fishing industry and explores the personal and public relationships with labour in mainland China. Additionally, Bowen utilizes the archipelago's nature to structure art practices and decentralized organizations as well as offering a poetic and political perspective on leisure tourism and its implications.
Other than the “making” practice, Bowen also dedicated his time to community practice concerning the Chinese diaspora and non-hierarchical structure. In 2022, Bowen founded West Secret Society, a minority student-led critique based at Slade, UCL and granted with EDI fund, and Action Guide Organization, an open platform for performance art focusing on re-enactment and social change. Through these platforms, Bowen actively seeks alternative narratives for migrants in the UK and aims to empower marginalized voices.
Bowen Zhang's artistic practice serves as a bridge between personal heritage and broader Asian cultures/society, offering a narrative that intertwines individual experiences with universal themes of identity, community, and societal transformation.
Bowen graduated from the University of Sydney in 2021, majoring in Visual Art and Finance. Currently studying in the MA Fine Art Media program at Slade School of Fine Art (UCL), His artwork has been the subject of group exhibitions in London, Sydney, and Shanghai, as well as multiple site-specific installations, performances, and workshops.
Exhibitions
2024
(Upcoming) Curator, Blue tack on a spike is no good, 25 Christopher St, London, United Kingdom
Curator / Group Exhibition, “How to Play Hopscotch?”, Koppel Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Group Exhibition, Slade Degree Show, London, United Kingdom
Group Exhibition, Open Call, Gallery Lock In, Brighton, United Kingdom
Group Exhibition, Welcome to the UK, Ugly Duck, London, United Kingdom
Group Exhibition, KEEP IT SIMPLE, SEXY, Barbican Art Group, London, United Kingdom
2023
Group Exhibition, Slade Interim Show, Slade School of Fine Art, London, United Kingdom
Group Exhibition, "Air, and the Absent", Resource for London, London, United Kingdom
Group Exhibition, Grow, Short-listed for 2023 Bloomsbury Festival, Bedford Square, London, United Kingdom
Group Exhibition, Platform 1, Bloomsbury Theatre, London, United Kingdom
Group Exhibition, Color/Print/Poetry, Slade, London, UK
Group Exhibition, Document, Gallery DODO, Brighton, United Kingdom
2022
Solo Exhibition (online), GELI, Shanghai, China
2021
Group Exhibition, Yi, Manning Bar, Sydney, Australia
Site Specific Installation, Labour, Zhoushan, China
Site Specific Installation, Unstable Climbing Structure, Zhoushan, China
2019
Group Exhibition, CAVA Final Exhibition, SCA, Sydney, Australia
Site Specific Installation, “Zhang” Series, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia
2018
Group Exhibition, Lighting Studio, SCA, Sydney, Australia
Projects
West Secret Society - Minority Student-led Critique with EDI Grant 2022 - Present
Organizer
Action Guide Organization - Open Organization facilitates Performance Art for Social Change 2022 - Present
Organizer
Uitreo - NGO Start-up for international emerging artists in AU 2019 – 2021
Co-founder
Award
Sarabande Emerging Artist Fund 2024
Slade EDI Grant 2024
Jeanne Szego Travel Award 2023
Slade EDI Grant 2023
Short-listed for Bloomsbury Festival 2023
Dean’s List of Excellence in Academic Performance 2020
Vice Chancellor's Global Mobility Scholarship 2019
Education
Slade School of Fine Art, UCL London, United Kingdom
- MA Fine Art Media Sep 2022 - Present
- Student Representative
- Co-Chair of the EDI Committee
The University of Sydney Sydney, Australia
Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Advanced Studies Aug 2017 - Jul 2021
- Major in Visual Art and Finance
The University of Padua Padua, Italy
- Exchange program Jul 2019 - Aug 2019