Jeong-Ah Zhang
International multi-award winning Contemporary Visual Artist
ARTIST STATEMENT
My life and art are based on my own philosophical thoughts and experiences. I am interested in the philosophy of immanence and transcendence on all beings, And this means that I try to focus on the essence of life by establishing core values, and at the same time, sublimate it into my works.
I think there is a series of sort of underlying, other sort of visual realities that have come into play in the modern world. In generally, the objects of awareness are split between the intelligible world and the visible world. There may be a lot of answers but I think the importance is that the reality of the invisible world over the visible. This is a rediscovery of the stream of consciousness based on ancient Oriental philosophy, and the idea of recognizing the truth is linked to being beyond the material world with all the visual appeal.
I think it is important to first have a deeper and broader perspective on emptiness. Emptiness has been a word with many meanings, aspects and feelings from different viewpoints, in various cultures. Cambridge vocabulary uses “sad feeling”, “not sincere”, and “a state with no emotion or purpose” for emptiness, while in Buddhism it is called “the true nature of things and events.” While a western view of emptiness often seems to be negative, in some eastern philosophies, it represents a state of stillness and placidity to see through the illusion, which represents the “mirror of the universe” and the “pure mind”. Lao Tzu in Tao Te Ching artistically quotes: “We mold clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that makes the vessel useful.”
I think the important thing is not how to look at it, but what to look at. At the same time, it is also a reminder that the material world is not all there is. I look at the relationship between humans and mother nature and the universe from a very broader perspective. And I reach this point and become aware of breath. I think all thoughts and consciousness are breath. That is the consciousness, unconsciousness, the borderland of consciousness, the five senses, awareness and the transubconscious state of mind. The breath is the switch between the conscious and the subconscious mind, It is a connected cycle of creation and extinction. I believe that life and death, creation and extinction, are not dualistic opposites, but rather different forms of the same meaning derived from the One. It also implies that the visible world and the invisible world are not separate, but constitute a whole. And It is a soul resonance beyond the time frame. I try to listen to all the conceptions of all things, have an open mind and remember what resonates, and this is how I work.
At this point, I reflect specific philosophical thoughts and ideas that are different from existing conventional surrealism. My Surrealism is not merely an exploration of the unconscious. It is a question of will and philosophy, and at the same time, intrepid introspection. This is because one cannot reach the inner essence of things through senses or unconscious images alone. We can only know what is true when we realize what is importance to us beyond what our senses perceive. This is my most important starting point for my art.
The self is not a fixed reality that is eternal. Everything is an interpreted phenomena and experiential structures of the ego or self-consciousness projected from consciousness, but why do we think of them as reality? The universe is not outside of us, but a flow within our consciousness, however, why do we think of it as a separate object from ourselves? This is the reason we need to realize pure consciousness as the fundamental awareness. Pure consciousness is not objective knowledge or experience of the five senses, but bare consciousness that encompasses all of these and already knows itself.
When I recall the memory of seeing the interconnected nature of all things, I cannot help but feel the greater pattern. And this is because philosophical reflection is interconnected beyond visible images. I am saying it again, because the idea of recognizing the truth is linked to being beyond the material world with all the visual appeal. My surrealism is the paradox of revealing the invisible through the visible.
Art is born anew at a point where language and the written word cannot reach. And, the true artist face the timeless truth. In that sense, my art is intended to make the viewers feel and think, but my delivery is intended to make the viewers listen to their own inner voice. And whatever it is, I hope it comes from the viewers' open minds and sets them free. It makes people, including myself, think beyond reality and into the essence of reality.
As an artist, I think there is a positive role for it. I believe that mature works of art that never ceases to experimental contemplate prepares the soul to recognize messages of all heights of truth, all the expanse of goodness and depth of beauty.
This reality of perception will constantly evolve through my experience and my work. It is because, for me, art is an end in itself, and I am not working art to make money from it.
The past, present, and future are big words and concepts created by humans. Time will reading more into my words(-my artworks) than I intended.
As I look back on that afternoon so long ago that presented my life, and as ever, when remembering the experience of seeing the interconnected nature of all things.. The flash point of all creation in the present moment is immortality.
BIOGRAPHY
Born and based in Seoul, South Korea on July 3, 1966, Jeong-Ah Zhang is an internationally active contemporary artist who specializes in painting and has achieved significant international recognition.
In the dynamic world of contemporary art, Jeong-Ah Zhang emerges as a profound statement on existential reflection and metaphysical dialogue, capturing the spirit of a generation that seeks to transcend traditional artistic boundaries. Jeong-Ah Zhang's ability to convey complex, abstract ideas through tangible imagery sets her apart as a visionary in contemporary art. Her art is not just singular. It is timeless. Jeong-Ah Zhang’s contribution to contemporary art is not a trend. It is a legacy.
Jeong-Ah Zhang majored in fine arts at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, and she also won the University Literature Award[-Play Literature Category] for three consecutive years separately from her major. After graduating from university, she worked as an Assistant Director for a prominent theater company in Seoul for several years, during which time she even quite seriously considered becoming a monk with profound questions about life and death (or Creation and Extinction). Afterwards she traveled to 30 countries on adventurous solo backpacking trips in her late 20s and early 30s, while her mindfulness routine fostered a harmonious balance of mental focus, creativity and originality she later needed to create the masterpieces of art.
Echoes of her own spiritual journey and meditation, an extension of the transcendental experiences of the magical realism at the age of eight that foreshadowed her identity, became a crucial trigger for her fundamental insight into a multidimensional world where the boundaries between reality and the virtual disappeared, making the meaning of time and space disappear. Building on this foundation, she began her artistic career in earnest in 1999 at the age of 33, debuting in the art world that same year by winning an award at Korea's biggest art competition, and has since dedicated herself to artistic activities for the past 26 years.
Jeong-Ah Zhang has held five solo exhibitions in Korea, Canada, and the United States, and her works invited to over 120 group exhibitions and art fairs in the United States, Canada, Korea, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. And she has also won 55 prestigious international awards in many countries around the world including 15 art competitions in Korea, and her incredible talent has garnered attention in more than 100 international art publications and magazines, and she was honored as the cover artist for the "2026 Collectors Art Prize - Art Legends Of Our Time (by Contemporary Art Curator Magazine)" and the "2024 Global Art Virtuoso: Elite Artistic Career Achievement Award (by Contemporary Art Collectors)."
AWARDS
2026 The Premier Artist Prize 2026 / Contemporary Art Station (ICM Gestora Cultural, SL), SPAIN
2026 International Prize "The Universal Genius Tribute to Leonardo da Vinci" / FONDAZIONE EFFETTO ARTE, ITALY
2026 International Prize "Artist in the Art History" / RUSSO & Fondazione Effetto Arte, ITALY
2025 Persona Art Honors 2025 / Contemporary Art Station (ICM Gestora Cultural, SL), SPAIN
2025 ARTISTS CERTIFICATION AWARD / L’ass. Internazionale Galleria Il Collezionista, ITALY
2025 "TALENT MASTERS - 50 ARTISTS TO COLLECT" / RUSSO & FONDAZIONE EFFETTO ARTE, ITALY
2025 International Prize "Artists on the FRENCH RIVIERA" / Effetto Arte, FRANCE
2025 Collectors Art Prize - Art Legends of Our Time / Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, EU
2025 International Prize "POSEIDON -the king of Laguna- for the Arts at Venice" / Effetto Arte Fondazione, ITALY
2025 EL GRECO Premio de las Bellas Artes 2025 (EL GRECO Fine Arts Award) / ICM Gestora Cultural, SPAIN
2025 The 7th International Prize LEONARDO DA VINCH / Effetto Arte Fondazione, ITALY
2025 International Prize 'The New Great Masters in New York' / 2025 ARTEXPO New York & Effetto Arte, USA
2025 Creative Artists Award In NAPLES 2025 / Galleria Il Collezionista, ITALY
2025 The Premier Artist Prize 2025 / Contemporary Art Station (ICM Gestora Cultural, SL), SPAIN
2025 International Prize Artist of the Year 2025 / Effetto Arte Foundation, ITALY
2024 Future of Art Global Masterpiece Award / Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, EU
2024 Persona Art Honours MMXXIV / Contemporary Art Station (ICM Gestora Cultural, SL), SPAIN
2024 'STAR DELL’ARTE a LOS ANGELES International Award' / 2024 LA Art Show, USA
2024 The 6th International Prize LEONARDO DA VINCH - The Universal Artist / Effetto Arte Fondazione, ITALY
2024 Global Art Virtuoso : Elite Artistic Career Achievement Award / Contemporary Art Collectors, SPAIN
2024 The Premier Artist Prize 2024 / Contemporary Art Station, SPAIN
2023 Artist of the Year 2023 / Artavita, USA
2023 Leaders Protagonists of Art at Washington / Effetto Arte Foundation, USA
2023 Harmony for Humanity : The Global Consciousness Art Prize / Contemporary Art Collectors, SPAIN
2023 ART FESTIVAL AL MUSEO DIOCESANO FRANCESCO GONZAGA / ASS.INT.Galleria Il Collezionista-Roma, ITALY
2023 International Art Award COLLECTORS ART PRIZE / Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, EU
2023 International Prize Donatello / Effetto Arte Fondazione & Russo, ITALY
2022 BIAFARIN Awards 2022 / Biafarin, CANADA
2022 The Best Modern and Contemporary Artists – London Prize, UK
2022 International Prize PARIS / Effetto Arte, FRANCE
2022 International Art Prize FACES OF THE PEACE / Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, EU
2022 International Prize BARCELONA / Effetto Arte, SPAIN
2022 Exhibizone Grand Prize 2022 / Exhibizone, CANADA
2022 VOICES OF TOMORROW International Art Award / Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, EU
2022 ARTISTI 2022 – Annuario Internazionale D'arte Contemporanea / Effetto Arte & Art Now & Russo, ITALY
2021 ATIM Collector's Choice Award / Art Tour International Magazine, USA
2021 POWER OF CREATIVITY – ART PRIZE / Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, UK
2021 International Prize AMBASSADOR OF ART / Effetto Arte Fondazione & Russo, ITALY
2021 ARTISTI 2021 – Annuario Internazionale D'arte Contemporanea / Effetto Arte & Art Now & Russo, ITALY
2021 Collector's Vision International Art Award / Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, UK
2021 The Best Modern and Contemporary Artists / Effetto Arte Foundation, ITALY
2020 Artist of the Future Award / Contemporary Art Curator Magazine, UK
2020 The Great Masters of Contemporary Art / Effetto Arte Fondazione & Russo, ITALY
2020 ARTISTI 2020 – Annuario Internazionale D'arte Contemporanea / Effetto Arte & Art Now & Russo, ITALY
2020 ATIM International Top 60 Masters / Art Tour International Magazine, USA
2020 International Prize Artist of the Year 2020 / Effetto Arte Foundation, ITALY
2019 International Art Museum Selection / Effetto Arte Fondazione & Russo, ITALY
2019 ARTYA Awards Artivist Of The Year / Art Tour International Magazine, USA
2019 International Prize Artist of the Year 2019 / Effetto Arte Foundation, ITALY
2019 International Prize MICHELANGELO / Effetto Arte Fondazione & Russo, ITALY
2018 The Best Modern and Contemporary Artists / Effetto Arte Foundation , ITALY
2018 International Prize CARAVAGGIO : Great Master of Art / Effetto Arte Fondazione & Russo, ITALY
2018 Best of International Arts / Art Tour International Magazine, USA
2018 International Prize Leonardo Da Vinci - The Universal Artist / Effetto Arte Fondazione & Russo, ITALY
2018 International Prize Raffaello / Effetto Arte Fondazione & Russo, ITALY
2017 International Artist Spotlight / Art Tour International Magazine, USA
2011~2009 Korea Selected Artists (Won the award 3 years in a row) / Art & Criticism Magazine, S. KOREA
2007~2000 The various forms of art competitions. Won 12 awards / S. KOREA