Zifan Zhang

Zifan Zhang is a pattern designer and a storytelling illustrator. She uses illustration to explore relationships, identity, humans and nature through visual narratives.

Zifan's practice looks at forests, trees, birds, creatures and unperceived human feelings to discuss human relationships within the environments they inhabit. She combines organic and natural materials with riso, etching and screen-printing processes to express her drawings and creative thinking.

She is a tree that lives in a forest of many artists who use nature as inspiration. She is committed to extending human thought and perception through her paintings, encouraging viewers to touch and interpret materials in their own way.

Based on the analysis of social-human relations and drawing from my own experience, I drew six patterns to express my understanding of human relationships at different stages, hoping to convey a relaxed state of mind to the introverted personality. The 'tree' full of vitality, inclusion, countless roots and whiskers is a metaphor for human beings. I used single-page pop-up book production techniques to tell the story of the various personalities of the tree.

While selecting materials and preliminary research, I considered my place and identity as a 'tree' within a relational forest. To visualise and materialise my work, I employed pattern printing techniques, including etching, riso and other approaches that require patience and dedication. As a material, I used bamboo silk, bamboo paper, and sandalwood bark paper (all coming from different types of trees.)