Meet Zixuan Zhou | Animator & Mixed-Media Artist

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

Hi Zixuan, why did you pursue a creative career?
I believe that the desire to express oneself is the most important driving force behind embarking on a creative journey. My attitude toward the “so-called entertainment” presented by mainstream media has gradually changed over time. When I was a child, I loved watching Hollywood movies with my parents. However, as I grew older, I became tired of the clichés and predictable plots. That’s when my desire to express myself started to grow. I told my parents that I wanted to be a director because I thought I could do better (of course, I didn’t become one). After university, I was exposed to more fragmented film and television content, as well as art exhibitions. The more I watched, the more I began to adopt the perspective of a creator, wondering how an artist could perfect their work. Naturally, stop-motion animation has become my favorite medium of expression.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The turning point for me in creating experimental animation came from a desire to craft moving images intertwined with the need for complete control over materials. These two drives shaped me into an animator rather than a director or actor. I love exploring new materials and incorporating them into animation—not for storytelling, but for the visual presentation itself. Storytelling is a separate focus for me.

I lean toward ambiguous, allegorical, and non-linear narratives—such as a person doing something, failing, an emotion brewing, and eventually fading away. This blend of futility and simultaneous fulfillment fascinates me. In a way, it could be considered anti-narrative, as I often find myself deeply immersed in the nihilism of a storyless void.

At the beginning, I didn’t fully understand what I wanted to create. I studied at a media school renowned for its film and documentary programs, so I followed the path of directors and screenwriters, working on scripts and narrative films. I could easily draw practical, seamless storyboards and bring them to life in live-action shoots. But the moment I completed one, I realized my filmmaking career had hit a wall. I had produced a decent short film, but I wasn’t satisfied. My creative freedom was constrained by the rigid framework of traditional filmmaking, and I ended up feeling disconnected from the final product, to the point where I didn’t even want to watch it.

It wasn’t until the pandemic that things changed. My directing professor assigned us to create a short film. Initially, I wrote a story about a girl trapped in lockdown, rescued by imaginary little people. However, I scrapped it entirely and, within seven days, created “Surrealism Experience”, a stop-motion surrealist animation. That initial story had been born out of mental and physical inertia. Feeling isolated during the pandemic, I craved external rescue, and my narrative leaned heavily on conventional structures. Eventually, I realized that true freedom could only be achieved through mental liberation. This epiphany led to a rebellious creation and marked the beginning of my journey into fully experimental animation.

I believe creators need to deeply reflect on their own psychological needs and embrace their work from within. Only by doing so can they maintain authenticity and confidence in their creative path.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think LA is a city of events, and I love exploring various spaces through film festivals, craft fairs, and comic conventions. Last week, I attended a craft fair at “Heavy Manners Library”, where I enjoyed talking with the vendors. The zines and comics from different artists on consignment inspired me greatly.

I also went to the “Eyeworks Experimental Animation Festival” and the “Flux Festival”, both cutting-edge and experimental. The audience’s reactions were fascinating for us creators, and talking with the artists was something to look forward to. You can’t imagine how simple or quirky the story behind a magical work can be.

Eyeworks took place at “2220 Arts + Archives”, an art venue decorated like a bar. I loved the vibe there, and they’re about to host another experimental sound performance, which is definitely worth checking out.

I’m still craving Chinese food—LA has many great Chinese restaurants. The San Gabriel area is full of hot pot spots and bubble tea shops. If you’re into Asian flavors, it’s a must-try!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shout out to the book *”Vision: Color and Composition for Film”*! As a self-taught artist, my learning journey began with reading. Many theoretical works on visual art spend a lot of text explaining a single concept, but when it comes to visual learning, examples and varied illustrations leave the deepest impression. I still remember the excitement I felt when I first read this book. The author openly shares their understanding of visuals, accompanied by numerous real-world examples used in professional work. This book set me on the path of deconstructing complex visuals and exploring their inner workings. Just think about it—no matter how intricate or dazzling a film or animation scene is, it can all be broken down into combinations and contrasts of visual elements, like solving a riddle. Art has become so much more fascinating!

Website: https://zixuanzhou.space

Instagram: y_w_metheus