“Dis-orientation” features a series of recent works on paper by Zhou Ziyue, mostly created during her residencies in Paris. From the depictions of the feet of strangers, either running or resting, to examining the spatial relations of human and animals limbs, to flower buds by the side of the road, Zhou explores a different perspective on urban life.

In 2020, collective action by workers caused frequent transport disruption in France, which led Zhou to often make the journey between her studio and home on foot, bringing her into conscious contact with places previously known of but unfrequented. Her works began to focus on the everyday in scenes of the street and the metro, capturing their atmosphere. For Zhou, these works serve as subtle portraits, conveying varied emotions and states of being. Simple lines and abstract elements hint at a sense of direction and disorientation, extending viewers’ imagination beyond the canvas.

These seemingly mundane objects, sketched with restrained lines and layered tones, create a tension and detachment, and form a dynamic with the “off-screen”. By enlarging details and zooming in, Zhou examines the relationship between bodies and space in modern life, particularly in the setting of public transport, re-evaluating the unseen aspects of daily existence. She immerses the viewer in fragmentary snap-shots of emotion from fast-paced urban life, offering a perception of the surrounding environment that feels both familiar and strange.

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