Leah Ke Yi Zheng: Art That Warps Minds and Canvases!

I’m absolutely head over heels for all the exhibitions I decide to write about and share. But let me tell you, the one that has taken me by storm this year is the solo exhibition of the extraordinary Chinese painter, Leah Ke Yi Zheng, born in 1988.

Describing this encounter can never do justice to the sheer three-dimensional magic of Zheng's work. I'll do my very best, though! Her art exudes a sense of unbalance, unpredictability, and delightful surprise. It's an experience that will leave you marveling at the audacity of her artistic vision.

Now, let me tell you, what blew me away was the medium she employs. While I had heard of this traditional Chinese painting technique, nothing could have prepared me for the breathtaking reality of it. Using a combination of acrylics, pigments, and ox bone glue, Zheng applies her strokes onto translucent silk stretched over mahogany hand-made stretchers. I wish my picture here could convey the transparency that the silk lends to the artwork. At times, you find yourself peering through layers, contemplating the interplay of thin and thick strokes.

But that's not all that sets her work apart. On the scorching summer day I went to see her art, I wondered if the heat had taken a toll on my senses. Am I dehydrated? Is everything starting to warp? It takes a moment for the brain, or at least mine, to realize that it's neither a malfunction nor crooked walls—it's the artist's deliberate artistic statement. It turns out those canvases are actually trapezoidal!

Zheng is an artist who dares to take risks, and that's something I truly admire. Her style, the unconventional shape of her paintings, and, most notably, her technique—painting on silk where the pigment becomes instantly absorbed, leaving no room for modifications—have a boldness that resonates deeply with me.

Go discover this exhibition firsthand! Leah Ke Yi Zheng's art will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on your soul, just as it has on mine.

Written by Carole Vaudable, interior designer.