Zhou Yang
Fine Art PhD
In her photographic practice, Yang has always had a fascination with Chinese Literati Gardens. She decided to take the plunge and delve into them further in her practice-led PhD as an international student at Birmingham School of Art, in the Research Centre for Chinese Visual Arts. Realising that her role as an artist and researcher go hand in hand, Yang integrates her photographic expertise within her PhD research.
Thesis: Reimagined Nature: Chinese Literati Gardens in Contemporary Art
"I never considered doing a PhD until 2020. I was living in China, and with the country being under strict pandemic regulations, I thought doing a PhD could be an exciting change of scenery for me. I found out that BCU has a Research Centre for Chinese Visual Arts. I believed this would be an excellent experience for me, as I hoped to research contemporary art and maintain my connection to China.
My practice-led research analyses the multi-faceted representations of Chinese traditional literati gardens, exploring their contemporary aesthetic values and functions. As World Cultural Heritage sites, literati gardens are significant historical spaces. Therefore, I decided to delve into the gardens in greater depth: my interdisciplinary research examines how contemporary art can generate new understandings of Chinese literati gardens.
I am a photographer: I have always had an interest in literati gardens and have incorporated them into my practice for over 10 years. My ongoing photography project ‘Faërie’ has been exhibited at solo shows and international photography festivals, such as Lianzhoufoto Festival and Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival and was nominated for the Madame Figaro Female Photographer Award. I have also published three photobooks, and my work has featured in Chinese Photography Magazine and the Chinese news app The Paper.
My photographic practice led directly to my PhD project, where my focus has shifted from making photographs to understanding how contemporary art reacts and engages with literati gardens as a heritage space. I am re-envisioning myself as an artist-researcher, providing a bridge across practice and research disciplines.
Before starting my PhD, I assumed incorrectly that being a researcher is separate from being an artist. I thought that somehow I would stop creating art if I became a researcher. However, I have realised that the role of an artist and a researcher are not mutually exclusive, but feed directly into one another. My background as a photographer informs my PhD research, and from talking with my supervisors I see the potential of including time-based mediums and multi-sensory installations within my research outputs. The School of Art has helped me understand that art practice does not have to be exchanged for the world of academia and research, and in fact lies within it. As my PhD project progresses, I am gaining confidence in my identity not as an artist-turned-researcher, but a researcher-artist.
My area of research situates itself naturally within BCU’s Centre for Chinese Visual Arts, where we aim to foster new understandings and perspectives of Chinese contemporary arts, design and visual culture. I always gain insightful feedback from my talented supervisors, Dr Lauren Walden, Professor Jiang Jiehong and Nathan Tromans. My PhD has been very well paced, and I feel I have excellent support to challenge and refine my research questions. The School of Art organises regular meet ups for PhD researchers at various stages, where we can discuss our research and art. Taking part in workshops and Night School events, I’ve experimented with presenting my ideas surrounding literati gardens to a UK audience. It’s been brilliant to share my work with others, gain confidence and inspires my future work."
Explore Zhou Yang’s photography here.