Read on for The Asia Pivot's pick of overseas-based emerging artists who are making waves in the art world
Talentspotter shines a spotlight on Asian artists, which offers not just information on artists from the regions but also market insights. This series originally ran in The Asia Pivot, Artnet Pro’s biweekly members-only newsletter providing mission-critical analysis, insights, and exclusive intelligence on developments in Asia’s art markets, with a focus on business opportunities and challenges. Subscribe here to receive it directly to your inbox.
When the market highlights Asian artists and their diaspora, those residing overseas often take the spotlight, leading the market’s momentum. A significant increase in Asian students enrolling in BFA and MFA programs in the U.S., the U.K., and Europe, coupled with the increasing exposure of Asian diaspora communities and Asian galleries on the global stage, opening outposts in the West, and exhibiting at international art fairs, are key contributing factors. Over the past decade, this trend has produced a new generation of graduates poised to make their mark on the gallery scene. In this roundup, we shed light on those who reside outside of Asia to keep your eyes on.
Xinyan Zhang
Who: Xinyan Zhang (b. 1991, Shenzhen, China)
Based in: Berlin, Germany
Gallery: Upsilon Gallery (New York, London) and De Sarthe Gallery (Scottsdale, Arizona, and Hong Kong).
Why we care: Blending Western post-expressionism with traditional Chinese painting, Xinyan Zhang’s hybrid techniques explore common experiences and human vulnerabilities. Zhang is influenced by Confucianism and Nietzsche, and her work delves into life’s value and frailty, uncovering the dark side of human nature. From a female perspective, her recent works interpret current social and cultural phenomena, posing the question: “Are there truly insurmountable obstacles in life?” Reflecting on recent wars, she uses black soil to create grave-like shapes, covered with liquid wax that flows downward, resembling melting glaciers. Ignited white cotton ropes cause the wax to melt, evoking the fragility of the people—and their resilience.
Zhang has exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions at the De Sarthe Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona (2024), and Hong Kong (2023), the Bauschaustelle Düsseldorf e.V (2022) and the Women’s Museum Bonn (2022) in Germany, and elsewhere. She has been nominated for several prizes in Germany, including the 7th Eb-Dietzsch Art Award, the Förderpreis Jung + Gegenständlich 2022 Art Award in Bodenseekreis, the Bottrop Art Award, and the Baustelle Schaustelle Art Award in Düsseldorf.
Up next: Zhang is presenting her solo exhibition, “Transfer to Tomorrow,” at New York’s Upsilon Gallery through August 29.
