Dense enough to block the wind; sparse enough for a horse to gallop

Reflecting the ambitions of our ‘Project’ Platform—which seeks to spotlight emerging artists with distinct voices and strong visions at the crest of broader recognition—we are delighted to welcome Nicole Zhang to mezzanine gallery, with her collection ‘Dense enough to block the wind; sparse enough for a horse to gallop.’

When, in January this year, the work of Nicole Zhang was acquired by Artbank, it signalled an inflection point for this rising Sydney (Gadigal) painter. The acquisition followed the inclusion of Zhang’s work in the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Western Australia—two institutional placements that signal a growing attentiveness to the originality of her practice.

Across four new works, Zhang turns to a series of Chinese proverbs spoken by her parents throughout her upbringing and into adulthood. These sayings—concise, practical reflections on life—become the conceptual framework for the paintings. Through a symbolic visual language populated by animals, flowers and domestic motifs, Zhang translates these fragments of inherited wisdom into images that feel at once personal and widely legible. The works stand as an homage to the formative influence of family, and to the enduring ways in which language, memory and identity continue to shape an artist’s imagination.

Nicole Zhang appears courtesy of CBD Gallery, Sydney.