Through simple, meditative labor, Xuewu Zheng works printed papers into forms embedded with vast quantities of social data. His source materials, which include international newspapers, religious texts and fast food receipts, are reformed through small, repetitive motions of the fingers into massive post-legible archives that recall burial mounds as well as trash piles; ancient scrolls as well as food mats.

Contemplating themes of global religion, the philosophy of living and linguistic separation, Zheng’s work explores an ongoing timeline of East-West cultural issues with a highly personal approach, based in a deep “consciousness of action” that transcends the physical artwork.

Bio

Xuewu Zheng was born in Heilongjiang Province, China. He received a BFA from Harbin Normal University, China, and two MFAs from SUNY New Paltz, U.S.A. He lives in New York.

Zheng’s work has been included in group exhibitions throughout Asia, Europe, Australia and the United States. He has been Visiting Professor at Harbin Normal University, China; Appalachian State University; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Columbia University; Vassar College; and University College Cork, Ireland. His artist residencies include Vermont Studio Center; Frans Masereel Centrum, Belgium; Gwangju Art Museum, Korea; Jingdezhen Sanbao International Center, China; and Nebraska Art Farm.

Zheng’s work is held in collections internationally, including the National Art Museum of China; Käthe Kollwitz Museum, Berlin, Germany; the Australian Embassy, China; Woo Jae-Gil Art Museum, South Korea; Ackland Art Museum, Guilford College, The Turchin Center for Visual Arts, U.S.; and Gwangju Art Museum, South Korea.