Artist Profile: Yiqi Zhao
Overview
Yiqi Zhao is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice weaves together surrealism, cultural critique, and intricate storytelling. Originally from China and currently based in London, Zhao explores identity, constraint, and resilience through highly detailed, ballpoint pen drawings. Her work balances personal introspection with broader social commentary, situating the self within a complex web of tradition, power, and transformation.
Working in the unforgiving medium of ballpoint pen, Zhao constructs hyper-detailed, surreal compositions that challenge inherited narratives—particularly those surrounding gender and authority. Each stroke becomes an act of quiet defiance, a refusal to be erased. Her use of negative space and repetition offers a meditative, unflinching look at how strength is redefined through resistance.
Featured Artwork
Bushwick Gallery
- Artwork Title: Escape (Limited Strength Series)
- Year of Creation: 2022
- Medium: Ballpoint pen
- Dimensions: 8.5 x 12 cm / 28 x 40 cm / 28 x 38 cm
- Location: London, United Kingdom