Zi Ling
Biography
Zi Ling (b. 1985, HuangShan, China) is a visual artist based in Bath. Born to Chinese painter HuiTao Lin, a pioneer of the 85 New Wave Movement, she received formal drawing training from him from the age of four. She studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Chelsea College of Arts and Central Academy of Fine Arts China. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in the National Art Museum of China and private collections across more than 14 countries. Her awards include The President’s Choice Award (2022), Richard Plincke RI Prize for Colour (2021), Cass Art Prize (2019), Frank Herring Easel Award (2018) and Rosemary & Co. Prize (2015). She also won the Royal Academy of Dance Portrait Competition in 2022.
Artist Statement
Zi Ling’s early artistic practice focused mainly on etching, in which she became fascinated by the mark-making of abstract figures. Today, she communicates through portrait painting, particularly in watercolour, exploring the relationship between brush, colour and paper.
Zi Ling observes people from real life and also finds emotional moments within photographic images as sources of inspiration. When working in watercolour, she trusts her intuition before making any marks, believing that each portrait is a result of whatever truth is felt at the very beginning of the process. Colour is particularly important to her, representing different personalities and different realities.
Her approach to portraiture combines observation with an intuitive response to the character and emotion she encounters. Through the interaction of brush, colour and paper, she seeks to allow the initial impression of a person to guide the development of each painting.