Yazhen Zhu
About
Yazhen Zhu is a multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer who utilizes various media to create interdisciplinary interactive installations and graphic images. During her studies at RCA, she expanded her interest in combining design with biological sciences. By collaborating with experts from different fields of biology, she aims to bridge the gap between professional knowledge and the general public.
Her previous education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Statement
My research focuses on the microstructures of the human body, animals, and plants, incorporating theoretical knowledge from related disciplines such as biology, sociology, and philosophy. I extract specific structural forms from the macro and microstructures of organisms and integrate them into graphic design, typography, installations, moving images, and sculptures. I am interested in exploring the connection between the human body (biological structures) and society, as well as the relationship between the individual and the collective. I attempt to find correlations between physiological changes and social phenomena, hoping that viewers can contemplate specific social phenomena through the visual lenses of my designs. Much of the biological research, particularly in neuroscience, is related to mental issues, and I aspire to provide some alleviation for specific mental problems through art therapy and collaboration with scientific communities.
DEEP IM/PERFECTION
Publication
It includes relevant research terminology about obsessive-compulsive disorder, showcasing the experience of OCD behaviors themselves by magnifying details and illustrating the characteristic of "exposure to specific environments" in ERP therapy.
A consideration of OCD through human skin textures
Within this project, the designer presupposes a female character based on herself. The work portrays the process of 'her,' who has experienced obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), interacting with her surroundings. It also incorporates theories and data from professional research papers on OCD. The author is deeply grateful for the collaboration and professional support provided by Dr. Yunfei Zhou. The integration of 'her' experiences with medical knowledge becomes a dialogue between self and science, a process of self-reflection and self-healing.
The project's focal point is 'skin'—the medium through which individuals interact and the bridge between individuals and their environment. The daily life of OCD is filled with repetitive actions and uncontrollable repetitive thoughts. Each contact with objects leaves traces on the skin, accumulating over time and becoming a part of herself. These traces serve as evidence of experiences, and magnified skin marks resemble a collection of evidence, a way to validate one's own memories. Due to the psychological pursuit of perfection in daily affairs, 'she' cannot accept the imperfect aspects of objects. Amplification is a repetitive action that 'she' performs to repeatedly confirm the details of things. However, ultimate perfection is unattainable, just as the skin of the human body carries its own imperfections.
Based on research on OCD, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is an effective clinical treatment method aimed at helping sufferers confront and expose their fears or discomfort related to their obsessive thoughts and refraining from engaging in compulsive behaviors to alleviate distress. The approach of magnifying the imperfect texture of the skin in the project imitates the characteristics of ERP therapy itself: exposure in specific environments. Based on this characteristic, the project exposes the scenes that make OCD sufferers uncomfortable while allowing ordinary viewers to experience specific aspects of OCD. The process of magnifying the traces left by skin contact with objects also explores the relationship between individuals and between individuals and their environment.
Trace With Engram
I chose "Neurology Internet Archive" as my primary site and explored the connection between physical traces and memory traces (engrams). An engram is a unit of cognitive information imprinted in a physical substance. "When the brain forms a memory of a new experience, neurons called engram cells encode the details of the memory and are later reactivated whenever we recall it." The theme is exploring the relationships between physical traces and brain engram by recording life traces and using the activation and deactivation of physical traces to mimic activities within the brain's biological system for managing memories.
Forgetting can be seen as a self-protective mechanism that prevents people from continuously getting emotionally involved in something. When I was a teenager, I was sometimes in a bad state of mind, and I would habitually suggest to myself to forget something that made me feel unpleasant. This behavior was effective then, but as time passed, I gradually found that this active forgetting had changed to passive forgetting. I began to forget things that happened in my life passively, and memory became more difficult. Passive forgetting started to impact my life, and I felt distressed. By understanding the mechanisms of brain forgetting and combining the physical traces of my life, I hope to find the relationship between the physical traces and memory traces through the form of self-healing.