Womanhood Triptych, oil on canvas 40” x 60” 2025

Ven Zhu is an interdisciplinary artist born in Dallas, Texas. She received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from the University of Georgia in May 2025, with a double emphasis in printmaking and painting. Ven works primarily in lithography and oil paint, though hopes to expand her practice to encompass more multimedia disciplines. Her current artistic investigation explores the dichotomy between traditional Chinese culture and life in the United States, as a first-generation Chinese American facing the pressures of both identities. Ven’s hope with her body of work is to communicate that there is no right or wrong way to wear one’s identity, and that there is a beautiful community to be found within the trials and tribulations of living between two cultures. 

Artist Statement

Growing up as the oldest daughter in a first-generation Asian American household came with a multitude of high expectations, culturally, socially, and economically – none of which I met – as a queer artist searching for other forms of personal fulfillment. I often found solace in both the creation and the consumption of art, as it functioned as my escape from the traditional family I grew up in. My pursuit of art meant that I had to choose between satisfying Chinese-American cultural expectations and my own desire to express myself in a non-judgmental artistic space, and I chose the latter. As a result of my growing self-alienation with my Chinese heritage, I now feel the urge to slowly rebuild my own definition of what it means to be a Chinese American and reconnect with parts of my identity in the process. Through my art, I strive to create a bridge between my culture and my evolving sense of self, becoming a product of my environment in the liminal space between migrating generations. 

My long-term artistic investigation explores the aspects that make up the human experience – the expansiveness of our spectrum of emotion, the influence of generational trauma in our perception of the present, and the interactions between an individual and their culture. To what extent do emotions transcend social boundaries? What constitutes our sense of self, and how does it correspond with those around us? How does our upbringing and the culture we immerse ourselves in affect our expectations, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships? Each work is an introspection – an examination of my own psyche, but also a broader statement – an exploration of how the patterns we see within ourselves serve as microcosms of the total human experience. I search for beauty in shared emotional experience, exposing the root of our existence and ultimately searching for the core of what defines our humanity.