Celebrating Women’s History Month – Louise Zhang
Louise Zhang is a Chinese-Australian artist based in Sydney working across sculpture, installation and painting.
Continuously inspired by her migrant mother, Louise’s practice is grounded in her experience growing up as a ‘migrant kid’. While sharing a background similar to many Chinese-Australians, Louise’s path to becoming an artist embodies an entirely unique expression.
“I always had this clear picture of myself working in a creative field,” says Louise. “Fashion design seemed like the obvious choice due to my family background in clothing manufacturing, but my grades just didn’t make the cut for a university degree in it.” What felt like a shortcoming at the time went on to become a blessing in disguise as Louise stumbled into another love of hers – art.
Louise’s practice explores the dynamics of aesthetics and the complexities of her own identity. Her works are typically defined by vibrant, bold colours and are inspired by horror cinema, Chinese mythology and botany.
Louise’s practice explores the dynamics of aesthetics and the complexities of her own identity.
Deciding to pursue an art career didn’t instantly feel like the right choice for Louise due to fears surrounding financial sustainability. “I think a lot of migrant kids would agree that financial stability is an intergenerational anxiety that still persists today,” says Louise. Moving away from this mindset, Louise unlearned her belief that an art career was something reserved for the privileged. “Now, it’s my joy and my career. I was and still am determined to overturn the ‘art is not sustainable’ default, especially for those with a migrant background.”
Not only is Louise’s art informed by her ethnicity, but it is also intrinsically linked to her experience as a woman. “I am a short, young Chinese woman. I like bright colours and hair clips. I like using soft colours and pink.” However, she struggles with how these interests are often gendered. “Somehow by using pink, I’m exploring feminism. I just like pink.”
As such, being a woman in the art world has influenced the way Louise’s work is perceived and how she is perceived, sometimes in rather reductive ways, she believes. “The experiences I have, like not being taken seriously, are not dictated by my abilities but by my image and the stereotypes of a young, small Chinese woman,” says Louise. “I think the advocation for equality, diversity and inclusion is more necessary than ever. I hope Women’s History Month can renew understanding and action, not just by being themes but as integral parts of a world we share.”
When it comes to her main inspiration, there is one person who immediately comes to mind for Louise – her mother. “She, like many migrant parents, has given up quite literally everything for me to achieve my dreams and live the best life possible,” says Louise. “I hope I can become a woman like her.”
Driven by a stubbornness to “get things done,” Louise is proud of herself for taking the chance and paving her own path in order to pursue her passion full-time. “It was once hard for me due to pressures of stereotypes, racism and fitting in to put my identity and my heritage at the forefront of my work.” Now, she accepts and embraces her true self – shown in her work – and is an inspiring example for those coming to terms with identity and acceptance.
