Stella Zhang: Tidal Traces
In Tidal Traces, Stella Zhang approaches the tide not as a representative subject but as an embodied condition. The ebb and flow of oceanic systems function as a conceptual framework through which the artist reflects on memory, emotion, and the body’s negotiation with external forces. Rather than representing the ocean itself, Zhang uses tidal forces to examine how bodies register pressure over time, viewing the ocean’s rhythm as a constant and repeating symbol, both nourishing and draining.
Tidal Traces will feature nine new works on canvas utilizing materials closely connected to the body—knitted fabric, thread, cloth, and paper—and ground pigment in a range of bright and neutral tones. These soft, fragile, and stretchable materials can be sewn, repaired, layered, and distressed, reflecting the way bodies absorb pressure from time and the environment. These cycles of renewal mimic tidal rhythms of repair and renewal. The number nine is significant to Zhang in its representation as the largest number, signifying the end of a cycle and the preparation for a new beginning.
