Q&A with Yixiao Zhang
Yixiao Zhang is completing his MFA in Visual Art in 2026 and showing work in the cohort’s thesis exhibition, “Apparition.” In this Q&A, he shares insight into his thesis project, what has surprised him, and more.
Briefly describe your thesis project. What themes are you exploring, and in what mediums/with what materials?
My work is titled “If Life Were Only as Our First Encounter.” It is a large-scale oil painting, 15 feet wide, actually composed of three 5-foot-wide canvases. In the center of the composition, I painted a self-portrait of myself at the age of six, along with horses, a flock of sheep, unfinished buildings, and grasslands after slash-and-burn farming. I focus on the intertwining of collective and personal memory of my homeland — the regional and ethnic histories of Northeast China, the social transformations since the reform and opening-up era, and the living realities of the people who are closely connected to me. I attempt to create a dislocated sense of time and space within the painting, presenting both my hometown in memory and the present within my sight simultaneously. Through magical realism, I aim to open a door for viewers into my inner world, making possible a kind of “gaze” and “mutual gaze” that transcends ethnicity, region, and time.
What do you hope someone feels when they experience your work?
Gaze and mutual gaze, a desolate and vast land, sad love and memories, dream and reality.
What has been surprising as you’ve worked on this project?
The final image turned out very different from my initial design, especially in the handling of the background. I kept many parts that I initially thought were just drafts — I preserved the areas where I painted most freely. I believe this rhythm makes the composition feel more comfortable.
Was there anyone early in life who had a big influence on your creativity?
I have to mention my uncle — my father’s elder brother. He was a farmer who spent his whole life working in the fields. Yet he was a remarkably gifted artist, and my first drawing teacher. He never went to school, nor did he receive any training in art, but he could vividly depict the horses, pigs, dogs, chickens, and cows he raised. Using discarded pens and wrapping paper, he created the most sincere art — art that was closest to the land. To this day, I am still influenced by him.
What’s something about WashU/the Sam Fox School that you’ll miss?
I think I will miss my studio in Weil Hall. I spent most of my time in the United States there, and all of my paintings were born there.