SIYU ZHAO
Fine-brush (Gongbi) painting · East–West visual language
Chinese fine-brush painter exploring the intersection between tradition and contemporary visual narrative.
Moonlit Perch（月下枝栖）
‘Gathering Under Dusk Clouds’ captures a winter tree and a gathering of small birds under a pale moon.
Low-saturation layers of blue-grey pigments create a quiet, atmospheric space, while precise linework renders the weight and texture of the aged branches.
The gentle movement of the birds offers a subtle contrast to the stillness of the scene, suggesting warmth and connection within a cold landscape.
The work blends the disciplined structure of traditional Gongbi with contemporary spatial sensibility, exploring emotion and silence within nature.
-Figures
Falling Blossoms（落花）
‘Falling Blossom’ employs refined fine-brush (Gongbi) linework and layered mineral pigments to depict a woman bending to gather fallen petals.
The composition retains the structural discipline and rhythmic brushwork characteristic of traditional Gongbi technique, while the soft, low-saturation palette introduces a contemporary sense of introspection.
Through controlled lines and subtle shifts in tone, the piece captures a quiet moment of tenderness, allowing the emotion of the gesture to emerge within the stillness.
-Flowers & Birds
Double Doves (双鸽图)
‘Double Doves’ portrays two doves standing side by side on a rocky ledge, framed by blooming white plum blossoms.
The piece draws on the symbolic traditions of Chinese fine-brush painting: doves as emblems of harmony and auspiciousness, and plum blossoms as markers of resilience and quiet purity.
Through precise linework and restrained mineral pigments, the work emphasizes the calm companionship between the two birds, allowing the dialogue between subject and setting to express a gentle, enduring sense of harmony.
The composition invites a reading that merges traditional Chinese imagery with a contemporary appreciation for stillness and emotional subtlety.
About · Artist Statement
Siyu Zhao is a Chinese fine-brush (Gongbi) painter born in Henan and trained in Beijing, currently based in London. Her practice centers on the precision, layered structure and emotional restraint of traditional Gongbi painting, with a particular focus on figure and bird-and-flower subjects.Working between classical linework and contemporary visual language, Siyu explores how Chinese ink traditions can enter a dialogue with Western composition and narrative forms. Her paintings often draw from the symbolic imagery of Chinese art—such as plum blossoms, doves and seasonal motifs—embedding cultural meanings that extend beyond representation. These motifs allow her to carry the poetic, philosophical and historical depth of Chinese painting into a new context.Now developing her work in London, Siyu aims to broaden local audiences’ understanding of Chinese fine-brush painting and the cultural foundations behind its imagery. Through her practice, she seeks to build a space where traditional Chinese aesthetics and contemporary cross-cultural interpretations can coexist, allowing viewers to encounter the subtlety, discipline and expressive quietness of Chinese art in a modern setting.