Ode to Transience

This poignant series of works focuses on moments of separation and the deep emotions they evoke. Inspired by Tibetan cultural traditions and their philosophical perspective on impermanence, Zhang uses oil painting to examine the fleeting nature of life, capturing the delicate balance between hope and solitude.

The exhibited pieces are profoundly personal, born from the artist’s recent experiences, including the loss of family members and challenges related to his mother’s health. Yet these individual stories transcend the personal, offering a universal meditation on life, death, and the enduring connections that persist through time.

"The coldest places in the world are not glaciers but the predestined coldness of human skin. Goodbyes are not just separations; they are encounters with the profound essence of life, an opportunity to reflect on the fleeting beauty of the most meaningful moments of our existence. My work aims to honor these transitions, blending hope and solitude with the wisdom of ancestral traditions." — Zhenlin Zhang