Dense enough to block the wind; sparse enough for a horse to gallop
- Nicole Zhang
- 12 Mar—12 Apr 2026
Dense enough to block the wind; sparse enough for a horse to gallop reminisces on Chinese proverbs uttered by the artist’s parents throughout her upbringing to adulthood. Through symbols and compositional strategies these paintings interpret wisdom sayings, which offer pithy commentary on everyday life and art. The work is a tribute to her parents and their influence on her life and identity as an artist.
Nicole Zhang works out of her studio in Sydney (gadigal land) and her practice draws upon the vernacular of modern and contemporary figurative painting. Zhang mines personal narrative and often through the lens of humour and hyperbole, documents the figure navigating everyday life. Her work observes rhythms of routine through symbols, recurring patterning and motifs and positioning them as both prosaic and profound. The work positions the everyday as the crucible of formation, the site manifesting emotional and spiritual experiences amidst mundane ritual.
Earlier this year, Zhang entered the collection of Artbank, marking a significant moment in the trajectory of her practice. A finalist in the MA Art Prize at Sydney Contemporary and the Blake Prize, her work is also held in the collection of the Art Gallery of Western Australia. The artist is represented by, and appears courtesy of, CBD Gallery.
