Meet Zimo Zhao | Artist/ Art Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zimo Zhao and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zimo, how has your background shaped the person you are today?

Hi Shoutout LA! This is Zimo Zhao, I come from China and now I am a multi-disciplinary artist, photographer, painter, and illustrator. I received my BFA in painting department from Renmin University in 2019(China) and my MFA from California Institute of the Arts in 2022 (United States). I have been living in the US for almost 5 years. I came here as an international student for art study and last year I got married here. I used to study painting when I was very young, after I got my BFA in China Renmin University, I decided to change my major to photography to explore more possibilities in my artwork. My work takes a critical view of social events which have happened in the world and have a profound impact on our contemporary social environment. I have exhibited widely, including at the Art Museum of Renmin University of China, San Francisco Art Institute Diego Rivera Gallery, Root Division, East Bay Photo Workshop and Peggy Phelps Gallery at Claremont Graduate University. And I was awarded the Lillian Disney Grant and Bartman Grant, and the Pvac Art Center Now Trending: 5th Annual Alipay Scholarship. Now I am a resident living in San Jose.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I experienced lots of challenges on my way to being an artist. Nowadays the art world is very competitive. As an artist, you must constantly keep up with current events, and be observant, sensitive, sharp-minded, and highly productive. Furthermore, it is stressful for artists to find opportunities to show their works in a gallery or museum, especially for international artists, the experience of having exhibitions in United States is very important, and it takes time for an artist to be represented by a gallery. For me, I try not to be anxious, I work hard and apply for everything helpful for artists, such as open calls or scholarships and grants. Also, enlarged my social circle and tried to connect with more people, being active all the time. Finally, I got some opportunities, such as being selected by Root Division “Introduction 2022” exhibition, and an exhibition at East Bay Photo Collective.

My work takes a critical view of social events which have happened around myself and have a profound impact on our contemporary social environment. With an international student’s background and from an outsider’s perspective, I am interested in exploring social violent events which happened in our society and the relationship with my personal experiences and my surroundings. The insecurity of being alone in a foreign country keeps me imagining what could happen on me or things had happened on me. By working in reconstructions I am connected to, I engage ideas of empathy and intimacy. Through my imagination, I recreate these scenarios and play with roles, and then I internalize the reconstructions which could provide a cathartic experience for me in a psychological way.

I am recently working on a new project named Reconstruction of a Family, which is a group of comprehensive works that combine collages and paintings. I imagined and recreated the hidden family history across generations.
Borrowing elements from my old family photo albums and my recent moments, I cut family members out and then glued them into the scene which I painted and converted from the prose written by my father about my family history, and then combined them to create a new narrative scene. The work is still in progress and I am excited about this!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I really like LA, since LA is such a cosmopolitan city. I would love to take my friend to check Art Museums like LACMA, and The Board. For eating, I will definitely recommend my friends to try LA Korean town, such as Sun Nong Dan, which is a great place to have Korean food. Furthermore, LA has lots of wonderful Boba Tea places, which I love so much and I think it is a good place to meet friends and hang out.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes, of course, there is a person that I would love to thank for her support. Her name is Jo Ann Callis, she is a famous artist and she was my professor when I studied at CalArts. I first met Jo Ann when I entered the MFA program at the California Institute of the Arts in 2020 where Jo Ann was teaching Independent Study Class. We worked closely together and have been in contact with each other since that time. We would schedule studio visits to discuss my work as well as the broader issues concerning art in our society today. Jo Ann is very wise and knowledgeable, she always teaches and inspires me well, and he always gives me great encouragement and support in my artwork. As an international student during the pandemic, she always cares about me very much and gives me warmth in a foreign country. Jo Ann and her artwork had a profound influence on me. I was fortunate to meet and know her, and I would love to thank for her teaching and support.

Website: www.zimozhao.net

Instagram: jackiezhao8